Avengers of the Ring
by Dr Matthattan
Summary: Due to a freak accident involving the Bifrost, the Avengers Captain America, Thor and the Hulk are thrown into the world of Middle-earth. They join the Fellowship of the Ring in their epic struggle to defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer:** I recognise the story that I have written is based on the rights owned by Tolkien Enterprises, Marvel Comics and Studios, New Line Cinema and Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures. I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

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**Chapter 1 - Introduction**

Hi everyone. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

This is my effort at fan fiction. I ask you to bear with me as I put this story together and would welcome your constructive criticisms as it evolves. I am not a professional writer so I apologise if the early chapters are a bit clunky first but I hope that changes as I get the hang of this.

What inspired me to do this? Well two things principally. First I have enjoyed the stories on the Fanfiction website for a number of years especially those involving crossovers. My all-time favourite is "It's an Odd Coincidence" by Telcontar Rulz that is a crossover of Lord of the Rings and X-Men (in particular Logan/Wolverine). I feel it is time for me to give something in return to this website. The second thing I will advise of after some preliminaries.

This is a crossover based largely on movie-verse as I feel it is easier to have like with like. I have used elements from Tolkien and Marvel literature to flesh out parts of the story but these are the exception and not the rule.

I apologise but it is currently beyond my creative skills to drop the whole Avengers roster into Middle-earth. The story I have in mind works best around just Captain America, Thor and the Hulk. In doing so I recognise that we shall not have Legolas and Hawkeye competing to see who is the better archer nor will Eowyn and Black Widow be taking on the Witch King together. Of course the biggest disappointment will be felt among Tony Stark fans (including myself) but I have to consider the imbalance that would be caused by the arrival of too many Avengers into Arda.

Readers shall also have to pretend that Stark's comment to Hawkeye as he lifted him into the air in _The Avengers_ never happened for the story to work.

I have rated this story as 'T' as there is no bad language or adult themes. Of course there is violence but not any worse than what was seen in _The Avengers_ and the _Lord of the Rings_ Trilogy. The spelling is (with one or two exceptions) in English (U.K.).

All this now leads to the second reason for my inspiration. My eldest nephew loves all things Middle-earth and my two youngest nephews are die-hard fans of The Avengers. This story is dedicated to them. I am secure in the knowledge that my love of Tolkien and Marvel has been shared by the next generation of my family.

**Dr M.**

December 2012

2


	2. Moving Objects

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

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**Chapter 2 – Moving Objects**

A Red-tailed Hawk soared over the New Mexico desert, its sharp cry piercing the clear morning air. The Hawk's cry gained the attention of an assorted group of men and women standing on the desert plains it flew over. More than a dozen individuals, several carrying heavy assault weapons all stood about 50 yards from a circle 30 feet in diameter that marked the desert floor. Inside the circle was a complex pattern of intricate black markings seemingly burnt into the surface that showed no signs of erosion or fading due to exposure to the elements.

The phenomena known as crop circles were well known around the world. For decades fields containing wheat crops were sometimes found to be marked by strange patterns, varied in design but all possessing a circular nature. A great many of these circles were nothing more than man made either as form of art or an elaborate hoax. But some in the world believed that the circles were the outlines of extra-terrestrial space craft that had 'landed' in the field during a visit to Earth. The group of men and women currently standing next to the desert circle would not have dismissed such a theory.

Their Acura MDX vehicles were stamped with the eagle motif of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division or SHIELD. SHIELD agents were the first people to find out the awesome and humbling truth that human beings were not the only intelligent life in the cosmos. The circle in front of them was not the markings of an alien ship but the pattern left from the Bifrost, the inter-dimensional gate that could allow visitors from the realm of Asgard to visit Earth. Asgard was long thought a place of myth but over one year ago the arrival of the Asgardian Destroyer at this very spot and the destructive power it unleased made SHIELD aware of the terrifying reality of Asgard's actual existence.

The fact that even the best of Earth's military were hopelessly mismatched by more advanced civilisations was one of the reasons why one of the men in the group commenced a secret project that came to be known as the 'Avengers Initiative'. SHIELD Director Nick Fury stood to the front of the group dressed in his customary dark trench coat and looked skywards over Bifrost made circle. Fury adjusted his black eye-patch before pondering the events of the last few months and the role the Initiative had played in them.

The concept behind the Initiative was to bring together a group of extraordinary individuals to fight the battles that SHIELD or perhaps more importantly Earth could not. The Chitauri invasion led by the Asgardian war criminal Loki four months ago on New York City was the event that bought the Initiative out in the open for the whole world to see. Only the Initiative members that the whole world knew as 'The Avengers' stopped the invasion. And it was this morning that Fury was fated to share with two Avengers, one of whom seemed to delight in pushing Fury's buttons as often as he could.

"You're sure you still want to do this Director?" quizzically asked a man of average height next to the right of him. The man sported a two-day growth with his normal goatee beard and wore jeans and a black AC/DC t-shirt.

"I am Stark" Fury confirmed calmly but firmly trying to overlook that the man had asked him six times already today.

Tony Stark, self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist but better known over the world as the marvel called 'Iron Man' after his revolutionary suit of high-tech body armour. The reason Stark was with him lie a few yards behind them both in the form of a dim blue light encased in a cigar shaped object made of a dark glass like material.

One of SHIELD's main roles following the Chitauri was salvaging and researching their technology they bought with them in their invasion fleet. Many of Earth's best scientists were analysing the technology under SHIELD supervision to grasp its applications to better prepare for possible future attacks. But sometimes SHIELD resources were not enough. As head of Stark Industries, Tony Stark was one of the finest engineering and scientific minds in the world. Fury handed over the object behind them over to Stark and one other Avenger to research when SHIELD was unable to.

"You've had the object for just over two months now Stark" Fury explained "You will have to admit that you are still no closer to unravelling its secrets".

"That's not really fair Director" to Fury's left the other Avengers researcher politely protested. "Tony and I admit the technology is beyond a lot of what we have seen but we have made some inroads. We just need more time".

"No offence intended Dr Banner" Fury turned and replied. When creating the Avengers Initiative Fury felt apprehensive about sending his agents to secure the support of Dr Bruce Banner. Like Stark, Banner was gifted across a number of scientific, medical and engineering fields and his intellect would be of great help for the Initiative. No, the reason for Fury's apprehension was that as the result terrible accident from an experiment on gamma radiation the slightest provocation could see Banner transform into an indestructible power. That power was known as the Hulk, a 10-foot tall green skinned behemoth of unnatural strength fuelled by a rage that could not be quenched. His fears had been justified when Loki provoked the Hulk into almost destroying the SHIELD Super Carrier. But those fears were relieved when the Hulk acted as one with the other Avengers in turning back the Chitauri and had even saved Stark's life in the process. Since the invasion Banner had been based at Stark Industries working with Stark. Neither of them had reported that the Hulk had re-emerged in that time.

"I acknowledge that you and Stark have discovered the object to be a weapon of mass destruction" Fury continued. "But you are also no closer to discovering its firing mechanism or guidance system any more than you were two months ago. And if I read your reports correctly if you cut the proverbial red wire the energy released from the object could blow up half a continent".

"But Director we could also find a new source of limitless cheap energy if we connect the green wires" Stark was not going to relent on trying to keep the object which as far as he was concerned had the potential to be a scientific discovery of a lifetime.

"Well then Stark, as you are a genius you shall remember what happened with the last piece of unknown technology that had similar promise" Fury replied with a mild trace of sarcasm. Fury was enjoying this conversation with Stark as for once; he was able to fully frustrate him. After seeing Stark grimace after realising he was not going to change his mind; Fury became becoming deadly serious.

"The Tesseract showed that some powers are too great for us to understand let alone control". Fury turned his gaze skyward again. "However we do have allies that can".

"So that's why we are here," Banner concluded. "We are going to hand it over to Thor's people for their safekeeping like we did with the Tesseract".

"Asgard is much more technologically advanced and much better defended than we are" Fury reasoned to both Avengers. "Thor advised us to wait here and he shall be arriving shortly to collect the object".

"Why here?" Banner queried.

"Our underground labs that housed the Tesseract are still being cleared and I still want this handover to be out of the public gaze. While the Bifrost is still being repaired, it is now able to transport visitors to places on Earth it has touched before" Fury explained.

"Wait a minute" Stark scoffed. "How do you know that let alone that Thor is coming here?"

Fury replied with a mild grin seeing the much-vaunted Iron Man being unable to figure out his secret. "The Cuban Missile Crisis showed that even the fiercest enemies need to have clear lines of communication. So our government and the Russians developed the Hotline to communicate in times of crisis in order to prevent disaster. Since the Chitauri invasion, as allies SHIELD and Asgard have developed our own Hotline to call on in times of crisis.

Stark's eyes lit up and with a face splitting grin enthusiastically asked "Hey I know we can't keep the object but do you think your people could work with me to establish another link at Stark Tower? It would be a real big help for Bruce and me and–"

All the satisfaction that Fury had been feeling vanished in an instant.

"The Hotline is not like Skype Stark!" Fury berated in exasperation "It is for emergency purposes only!"

"Okay, okay I get it". Stark apologised casually.

_I wonder if Coulson is somewhere watching this and enjoying that he no longer has to deal with this egomaniac_ Fury thought. As if to prove these observations correct after a short silence Stark asked Fury a question.

"So when our Hotline to Asgard started what did you guys talk about to test it? I mean it's the first official means of communication with Earth and another world. Did you and Thor's Dad talk and compare eye patches"?

The glare that Stark then received from the SHIELD Director in reply well and truly matched the Director's surname. Both men heard to their left that Banner was having a slight chuckle at them.

Fury's and Stark's standoff that reminded Banner of a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis routine. Since the invasion, Banner felt he was finally able to live a 'normal' life for the first time in many years. A Presidential Pardon for the Hulk's initial rampage in the US and being able to work with Stark meant he no longer had to spend each day looking over his shoulder. One of the great luxuries he now had was that he could relax his guard a lot more and could openly laugh without worrying if it would tip off General Ross of his whereabouts. To be sure the inner demons that reminded him of the presence of the 'Other Guy' were still there but he now felt he was their better.

All three men's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of another MDX pulling up next to the other SHIELD vehicles. Out of the new MDX stepped out a red haired woman and two men and began walking to Fury and their two fellow Avengers. Agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton but better known as 'Black Widow' and 'Hawkeye' respectively wore shades and their customary dark SHIELD uniforms. The other man with them had become known as the world's 'First Avenger'

Steve Rogers or Captain America wore his signature blue, white and red uniform and carried his legendary shield. Fury observed that the pride and patriotism that Rogers felt about wearing his country's colours appeared to radiate out of his uniform. Fury greeted the three Avengers curtly.

"Agents Romanoff, Barton and Captain".

Stark looked up and down Rogers in his uniform. "You know Cap" Stark began "you don't need to wear the uniform every time we meet to impress me. When we are back in New York I will take you Brook's Brothers and we can fit you out a whole new wardrobe".

"Very funny Stark" Rogers replied calmly although his eyes narrowed through his uniform's masked hood. Since meeting him Rogers had slowly began to take Stark's display of wit in his stride. "The three of us have just come back from meeting with the Governor of New Mexico. When we were told that Thor was coming we didn't have time to change before getting here".

Ever the soldier, Rogers decided to launch a counterattack. "Besides Thor is a fellow Avenger, a crown prince and I consider him a good friend. Why shouldn't I meet him in my uniform"? Rogers then looked up and down at Stark's apparel. "Dressing for the occasion is something you seem to have a handle on".

Fury and the other Avengers was a bit taken back by Roger's reply. Was Captain America, the ultimate 'straight man' now not just tolerating Stark's teasing but also trying to one up him as well? The chirp that came from the mobile phone clip that hanged on Stark's right ear broke their thoughts.

"Go ahead Jarvis" Stark said to the caller.

"Sir based on the coordinates you gave me I am detecting a rapid ionising of the atmosphere above you and a great surge of energy" was the reply in a clipped British accent. The voice belonged to JARVIS, the artificial intelligence system that Stark designed to manage his personal technology needs including his Iron Man suit. JARVIS was arguably Earth's most advanced computer system and Fury admitted it would be able to monitor and record data from Thor's arrival much better than any system SHIELD had. The only catch was that he had given Stark something else to gratify his genius with.

"I do believe our guest is about to arrive on schedule" Stark remarked to the group around him.

A burst of amber light shot down from the sky to the ground in the manner of a waterfall before disappearing in an instant. Standing in the Bifrost circle was the sixth and final member of the Avengers.

Although about 50 yards away from them Fury's group could see the large smile worn by Thor Odinson. Wearing his navy battle armour and red cloak and his mighty war hammer Mjolnir hanging from his belt, Thor began walking to his fellow Avengers. Walking in manner befitting his noble position it was not hard to see why along with his otherworldly powers the ancient Norse peoples had mythologised him as the 'God of Thunder'. As he reached the group he threw his arms open in greeting.

"My friends!" he said warmly. "It has been too long".

"Good to see you again too Thor" Rogers replied first.

"You know," Romanoff mused to the group "I think this is the first time all of us Avengers have been together since the Chitauri invasion".

"You would be correct Lady Romanoff." Thor agreed. "As our services are not needed in battle we should have a feast and drink to celebrate".

Fury sighed before firmly stating "If we could all please focus on why Thor was asked here".

"Of course" Thor quickly replied. "Is the Chitauri weapon in your possession now?"

Fury moved aside so Thor could see the object that was behind him.

"Good. We just need to move it so it stands in the Bifrost circle so I can take it with me to Asgard" Thor advised.

Fury signalled to a group of heavily built SHIELD agents to carry the object into the Bifrost circle. The agents carried the object in a stretcher like bag. Even though the object was some four feet long it was surprisingly much lighter than human ordinance of similar size.

"What have you discovered about the object?" Thor asked Fury.

"Some but not a lot" Banner replied after Fury deferred Thor's question by looking at him. "As much as I hate to admit it, although Tony and I have found its weapon of some kind we are still in the dark about a lot of how it works".

Stark grumbled something under his breath, an action that Thor found amusing.

"Do not be too hard on yourselves my friends" Thor said as the SHIELD agents who carried the object walked back past Fury and the Avengers having carefully placed it in the middle of the Bifrost circle. "Once we in Asgard unravel the object's mystery we will be happy to share our findings so that both our realms can be kept safe from the threat it poses".

Stark heard JARVIS speaking again. "Sir I am detecting some unusual energy readings".

"Is the Bifrost opening again?" Stark asked.

"No sir. This energy pattern is quite different, as it seems to be around the Chitauri object. In fact if I am not mistaken the object itself seems to be powering up".

"Oh Hell" Stark audible gasped.

Fury frowned at Stark and asked, "Is there a problem Stark"?

"Yes a big one." Stark replied staring at the object that was a short distance ahead. "Jarvis detected an energy spike from the object – which could mean it's arming".

A rising hum, which reminded Banner of the sound of a heartbeat, appeared to be coming from the object. The dark blue light inside it began to get brighter by the second. Banner and Stark both shot off towards the object. The others began to follow the two of them after the initial shock of Stark's words had gone.

Above the object a white circular light appeared growing to be as wide as the Bifrost circle but hanging in the air. The light began to take the shape of a hurricane as seen in a satellite photo with a dark coloured eye and a number of spiral arms forming along its edge. All the Avengers and SHIELD personnel stopped their movement in amazement at the sight before them. In a second, 'hurricane' spun clockwise at tremendous speed creating a powerful vacuum in the form of a howling gale, dragging all into its vortex.

Avengers and SHIELD personnel were violently dumped by the gale face first into the ground. They desperately dug their fingers into the desert soil trying to get some sort of grip to prevent them from being dragged into the vortex while ignoring the desert sand that was being blown into their ears, eyes and mouths. They looked in horror as Banner lost his grip and was blown screaming into the vortex.

"Banner!" Thor cried. With all his might Thor stood up as best he could and with a twirl of Mjolnir in his hand took to flight to catch his friend. Thor's noble gesture was in vain as both he and Banner were sucked into the vortex and disappeared as soon as they made contact with it.

Stark looked about to share their fate as he was being dragged along the ground rapidly until a blue uniformed arm snapped out and grabbed his hand.

"I've got you Stark." Rogers gasped to him. Stark used his free hand to grasp a rock that seemed embedded into the surface as a means to hold on. Although Captain America possessed superhuman strength and resolve, it was not enough for him to hold both Stark and hold himself against the gale unleashed by the vortex. Rogers lost his grip on Stark and the ground and was hurling into the air towards the vortex

"Jarvis!" Stark screamed into his earpiece as he began to be pulled again "Hit the kill switch NOW!"

"Yes sir." JARVIS replied with stereotypical machine like calm.

In an instant the object's humming ceased and its light began to dim. The vortex collapsed quickly on itself but it wasn't quick enough to stop Rogers from being claimed by it. The gale ceased and all was back to being the still clear day in the New Mexico desert it was previously. The object remained in the Bifrost circle eerily silent. If it wasn't for the desert sand that covered them and the loss of three of their number there was nothing the group would have that would prove the vortex existed in their midst only moments ago.

After getting up from the ground and trying the dust the sand off their person the vortex survivors tried to make sense of what happened.

"Stark." Stark turned to see Director Fury talking and looking at him with a mix of anger and worry on his grizzled face. "You and Banner never mentioned anything about figuring out the object's disarming system".

"Well Director that's because we _haven't_ figured it out." Stark replied noting that confusion was now added to the facial expressions being shown by Fury. "You might think me a loose cannon but I am not a stupid. Both Bruce and I knew that our research could trigger off the object by accident and blow us up as a result. So we rigged our own 'kill-switch' to stop the object functioning if it looked like doing that".

Stark noticed that Fury was quickly realising the implications of what Stark had told him. Stark spelt it out for him. "Yes Director we understand enough of the object's power so we don't, as you put it, cut the proverbial red wire".

Before Fury could remonstrate with Stark another Avenger interrupted him.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed Barton as he tossed away his now broken Bloc sunglasses

"Talk to me Jarvis." Stark commanded.

"Unknown what has happened to Masters Banner, Thor and Rogers at this stage but their life signs were active just before they disappeared" JARVIS reported "My initial data seems to indicate that the energy residue from the Bifrost opening must have triggered the object's arming mechanism. But I stress that this is just a hypothesis as I have never monitored technology this advanced before".

Stark spoke so all the others could hear.

"Jarvis says the Bifrost's energy may have triggered the object to create the sucking swirling thing". He then looked squarely into Fury's uncovered eye. "You think now it's a big enough emergency for me to use the Hotline to speak to Thor's people now"? Stark had wanted to talk to Asgard but not like this when the lives of his friends could be in the balance.

Fury nodded. "Whatever assistance SHIELD can provide is yours Stark. Just get our friends back".

"God I hope they're ok" Romanoff said as she looked at where the vortex appeared. Fury could not tell whether Romanoff said this as a statement or a prayer. _If we are unable to figure out the vortex_ Fury grimly thought _divine intervention might be the only thing can return us Captain America, the God of Thunder and the Hulk_.


	3. Unknown Events & Creatures

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

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**Chapter 3 – Unknown Events & Creatures**

Rogers winced as he regained consciousness. His immediate reaction was that he must be face down as he felt the pressure of a surface along his body. He opened his eyes but had to close them again as the only thing he could see was a blinding white brightness. He slowly re-opened his eyes and the light began to fade as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

Rogers lifted himself up into a crawling stance and pulled back his mask to study the ground he was staring at. As the light faded he was staring at what appeared to be a patch of dry grass and as his vision improved he could see that this type of ground was all around him. As well as the dry grass he could see that the surface was dotted with small and large rocks. The terrain itself seemed mostly flat but he could make out the shapes of what appeared to be low lying hills and boulders dotting the landscape. A gentle breeze caressed his left cheek to confirm he was indeed somewhere outdoors. The climate in this place was mild but still comfortable

The remaining brightness faded from his vision. Aside from feeling a little groggy he did not feel hurt or injured. He stood up and felt his face and did not draw any blood on his fingers so he could assume no facial injuries either. Looking to get his bearings he looked for the Sun and saw a blue sky dotted with the occasional cloud. When he saw the Sun he let out an audible gasp. The Sun had just risen over a mountain range several miles to his right. Assuming that the, _this_ Sun rose in the East, Rogers could see the mountain range stretched to the northern and southern horizons as far as his eyes could see. _Well _he mused _wherever I am I think I can safely bet that it is not New Mexico._

Rogers head turned west when he heard a man's cough that made him realise he was not alone. Banner was standing brushing off the dry grass and dirt that was stuck to his jeans and purple t-shirt. Rogers walked over to his fellow Avenger.

"Bruce. How are you?" Rogers asked his he put his hand on Banner's shoulder as a sign of concern.

Banner put his fingers to his neck. After he felt a pulse he wryly replied "Still alive at least. And I don't feel any injuries. You?"

Rogers shook his head but quickly realised that another Avenger had followed Banner through the vortex. "Thor!" he quietly exclaimed to Banner.

A loud groan to the south of them quickly revealed to them Thor's location. The Asgardian began to rouse himself off the flat of his back with his head lifting off the ground but still holding Mjolnir tightly in his grasp. Banner and Rogers walked a couple of steps over and helped their friend stand up.

"Thank you my friends" Thor wheezed as he slowly stood to his full 6' 3" height. "What happened to us?"

Both Thor and Rogers turned their attention to the scientist in their group.

"To be honest I don't know what that thing, vortex was." Banner replied sheepishly. "I am sure it had something to with the Chitauri object and we are now in a different place but that's it". He then looked at Thor before saying "You have more experience with wormholes and dimensional gateways than I have Thor. Was it like anything you recognised"?

"Nay." Thor said. "I cannot recall the Bifrost ever opening in a manner like we just witnessed".

All three men turned and looked at the mountain range to their east. "I know I have a lot of travel to catch up on but I can't recall seeing any place on Earth looking like this." Rogers commented.

"And yet," Thor added, "out of all the Nine Realms this place reminds of Midgard – sorry, Earth - the most".

Banner quietly cursed himself for not doing the obvious. He reached into his left jean pocket and pulled out his mobile. After seeing his mobile's display Banner informed the others "Well I know my phone was charged this morning but as of right now its battery is dead".

The concept of calling for help inspired Thor. He moved a few steps away from Rogers and Banner, looked skywards and shouted hoping that Asgard's Gatekeeper would hear him "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost! Heimdall"!

Both Banner and Rogers frowned at Thor puzzled by his behaviour. Had their fellow Avenger suddenly gone mad to be shouting at the sky? Thor returned his gaze to them seemingly oblivious to their puzzled looks.

"It would appear we are cut off from Asgard as well." Thor grimly stated. _Oh that's what it was about_ both Rogers and Banner thought. Considering their situation Rogers decided to follow his military training.

"Thor." he asked firmly. "Do you think you could do a quick reconnaissance of the area"?

Thor nodded. Holding Mjolnir in his right hand he began to rhythmically twirl Mjolnir a tight circle by his side in order to use its powers of flight. Once he felt he had sufficient momentum Thor lifted his Mjolnir skywards and – nothing. Thor was momentarily stunned at this, as were his two companions. Thor repeated his action and again had the same result.

"What is it Thor?" Banner asked.

"I…I am...not sure." Thor's words stumbled out due to the shock at what had just transpired. Wanting to test Mjolnir Thor aimed it at a small boulder about 15 feet away. Thor knew that he could turn Mjolnir into an unstoppable projectile that moved across great distances at rapid speed that broke the massed ranks of his enemies. Thor exercised a solid throw and released Mjolnir. The legendary hammer moved at a speed that Rogers inwardly compared to a "hammer" released by an athlete competing in the hammer throw event. An impressive speed but mediocre compared to what Thor was capable of. Mjolnir hit the boulder and split it open but the impact made it tumble out of its trajectory and rather unceremoniously bump along the ground until it came to a stop some 30 feet from where it was thrown. Slightly worried that somehow all his powers had been stripped from him again, Thor held out his arm seeing if his power of summoning Mjolnir still worked. He gave an audible sigh of relief when his legendary hammer flew back from its resting spot on the ground into his hand.

"Well," Banner commented drily "one out of three isn't too bad".

Thor replied after giving a rueful grimace "It would appear that I may not be as much aid as I initially thought. If I am to scout the area it will be so on foot".

Rogers scanned the horizons around them and pointed his finger when he noticed something to the north. "Look!" he exclaimed to the other Avengers.

Rogers, Banner and Thor all observed a thin trail of smoke rose up from the northern horizon.

"I know the others are probably trying to figure out how to get us back, but if we are in an unknown and potentially hostile land I don't think we can afford to just wait around here" Rogers argued.

"The smoke could be just from a natural fire." ventured Banner.

"True." Thor agreed "But it could also be a camp or settlement that could give us some answers. I am with you Captain America. I believe we should investigate the source of that smoke". Banner shrugged his shoulders in agreement.

"Wait a minute." Rogers said. He walked over to a heavy looking rock on the ground just ahead of him. He pulled out a pocket knife that he carried in one of his belt pouches and scratched an 'A' and an arrow pointing north on the rock's surface facing up. Just in case anyone from SHIELD or any other Avenger came through the vortex, Rogers decided to give them a clue as to the direction that he, Thor and Banner were heading.

Once he completed this, the three Avengers started walking towards their first destination in this strange world.

* * *

Much further to the north a group of nine companions of varying heights and their baggage pony walked south at a steady pace. The group was comprised of a number of representatives of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth. Walking at the head of the company was the Grey Wizard known by many names but perhaps most commonly as Gandalf.

Gandalf held his well-known wooden staff in his knolled right hand and pondered recent events. He and his eight companions set out from the hidden Elven refuge of Rivendell just under a month ago on their journey. A Council of the Free-Peoples had convened in Rivendell and had tasked the nine companions with a quest arguably the most important in the history of Middle-Earth. He and his companions were heading to the distant land of Mordor, the realm of the Dark Lord Sauron. It was only in Mordor that the One Ring, Sauron's greatest weapon could be destroyed. The One Ring was currently in the possession of one of his companions. If Sauron were to reclaim the Ring, the Free-Peoples would be powerless to stand against him and all Middle-Earth would be plunged into darkness with Sauron's reign lasting even until the world's end. Elrond, the Master of Rivendell had dubbed the companions the "Fellowship of the Ring" in recognition of their task.

Gandalf was comforted that the other members of the Fellowship were noble representatives of all the Free-Peoples. Aragorn the Ranger and Boromir of Gondor represented the race of Men; Legolas Greenleaf for the Elves; and Gimli, Son of Gloin for the Dwarves. But Gandalf's thoughts often centred on the remaining four members that made their race have the highest representation in the Fellowship. Representing the short in stature, big hearted, peace loving race of Hobbits were Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee, Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck, Peregrin 'Pippin' Took (Gandalf had a quiet grumble at this name) and most importantly Frodo Baggins.

It was Frodo who was the bearer of the One Ring. Frodo had received the Ring as a 'gift' from his Uncle Bilbo who had found it on his travels many decades ago. Both Bilbo and Frodo were unaware of the significance of what they held in their keeping until Gandalf discovered it was indeed the Ring that Sauron sought to claim above all else. _Even if the rest of my Order has strayed from our original purpose I shall not_ Gandalf thought. _If only to relieve Frodo of a burden that he and Bilbo should have never had to bear_.

In order to avoid the attention of Saruman, the traitor White Wizard, the Fellowship had tried to cross the mountain range known as the 'Misty Mountains', which could be seen to the east of them, over the Pass of Caradhas. As the Fellowship climbed its icy heights, it was forced to retreat due to an unnatural blizzard that Saruman had conjured. To continue its journey, the Fellowship was now heading towards another 'pass' that Gandalf had originally hoped they would avoid. He remembered Saruman's mental communication to him on Caradhas; taunting him about the dangers he was leading the Fellowship into. What troubled him was that Saruman's taunts were solidly based on fact.

Gandalf was interrupted in his thoughts by noticing a bright white light that flashed for a few moments to the distant south. The rest of the Fellowship noticed the flash and suddenly stopped at the sight. After their shock had subsided the remaining eight Fellowship members moved themselves to stand either side of Gandalf.

"Durin's Beard what was that?" Gimli asked to no one particular in the Fellowship.

"I am not sure." Gandalf replied in a puzzled tone. "It could not have been lightning as the skies are to the south are clear".

"Maybe it's another trick of Saruman's." Boromir guessed.

"It's possible." Gandalf admitted. "But I do not think Saruman would engage in such a blatant display of power so far away that it should warn us of its existence. If Saruman could harm us with such a power he would do so only when he could directly unleash it upon us as he did on the mountainside".

Legolas did not take his eyes off the southern horizon and spoke in a prophetic manner.

"Something has come to Middle-Earth. Something of great and unknown power, for good or ill I know not. But I sense it approaching us".

Legolas' words cast a pall of creeping dread over the majority of the Fellowship. Aragorn noticed Gimli rolling his eyes and about to release an insult that would be added to the many that made up the renowned rivalry between Elves and Dwarves. Gimli was prevented doing this by an interruption from the Ring-bearer.

"Gandalf look!" Frodo pointed to the south "Can you see the rising smoke ahead of us?"

The rest of the Fellowship looked to where Frodo was pointing and they all noticed the thin trail of white smoke to the south that was closer in distance to them than where the bright flash occurred.

"A trail of smoke that size is normally not the result of a natural fire. Aragorn commented. "I would suggest it is from a camp site".

"Maybe they know what happened." Merry ventured.

Inwardly Boromir smiled at the innocence contained within the Hobbit's remark before speaking. "It is not just friends of the Free-Peoples that set up camp in this part of the world Master Merry".

Gandalf hummed his consent to Boromir's observation. "I agree that the source of that smoke bears investigation. But Lord Boromir raises a good point. We should be especially cautious as the source lies on the only route available to us to proceed to our destination".

"I would recommend that Legolas takes front scouting position, given that the senses of the Elves are keener than any others". Aragorn said. Aragorn looked at Gimli in quiet challenge to see if he would dispute his observation. Gimli narrowed his eyes but made no comment.

After accepting Aragorn's suggestion, the Fellowship proceeded towards the source of the smoke with caution.

* * *

The three Avengers continued their journey northward. By the Sun's position in the sky, Rogers guessed that it was about late morning. A rumble from Banner's stomach amused the three of them. "For your sake my friend I hope where that smoke is coming from is a source of food as well as information." Thor commented.

They were coming closer to the source of the smoke. The Avengers also heard a quiet gaggle of chatter whose words they could not make out. Obviously the smoke was the result of being lit by someone or something. The only thing separating them from it was a close crop of boulders. The boulders varied in shape and size, the lowest coming up to their ankles with the tallest just brushing Thor's head. His military training kicked in and Rogers lead Banner and Thor into the boulders cautiously. Until proven otherwise, the source of smoke could be a hostile force and the boulders provided excellent cover to do a reconnaissance. The source of the smoke was just ahead of them and the three of them drew in a breath at what they saw.

There was a flat area of dry grass about 60 to 80 feet in diameter. The area was dotted with ugly, tattered tarpaulins made of a coarse grey cloth and the source of the smoke was revealed as a large campfire in the middle of the camp. But what surprised the Avengers was the camp's inhabitants. Humanoid creatures that had green, black or grey skins of varying degrees sat around the camp in small groups. Their language seemed an inane babble and as they spoke the Avengers could see their mouths contained crooked sharp teeth. The creatures looked to be slightly shorter than the height of an average man and they all appeared to be wearing an ugly style of iron plated armour and many had helmets made the same way. They were also armed with a variety of swords, axes, spears, clubs and bows. To Rogers mind, he wondered if he had be sent to an alternate Earth where the middle ages had been overrun by an ugly evolutionary offshoot of Man. His thoughts were interrupted by Thor.

"I take back my earlier observations. In all the places in all years I have visited Midgard I have never encountered creatures such as this".

"They make the Chitauri look like supermodels don't they?" Banner observed.

Rogers responded to Banner's remark with a wry half-grin until his nose picked up the smell of what seemed like burnt flesh. On closer observation he noticed that a number of these creatures were eating blackened meat off long skewers. He observed two of these creatures reaching for such a skewer that lay in a black pan in front of them. The two appeared to have a disagreement over whose skewer it was. One of the creatures gave the other one a forceful shove resulting in both having a full on brawl. Their fellow creatures cackled at this display with a number of them walking closer to the fighting pair urging them on to continue their violence as if it were a form of entertainment.

"Well", Rogers surmised to his friends "I am willing to guess these things don't seem to be the friendly and helpful type. And I am pretty sure they are not likely to share a meal with us".

"So what do we do now?" Banner asked.

Rogers assessed the situation. He guessed that there were about 100 of the creatures if you factored in that some might be under the number of tarpaulins in their camp. To both the east and west of the camp the crop of boulders continued until they thinned out on the sides of a low lying hill to the camp's north. The creatures might be heavily armed, but where they positioned themselves showed they had a lot to learn about basic military precepts. He and his famed 'Howling Commandos' could execute a deadly ambush from the boulders and northern hill against the creatures that would have most of them killed or routed in minutes. But while these creatures did not look friendly, at this stage they were not his enemies either so avoidance appeared to be the best option. Looking to Thor and Banner he spoke quietly but firmly.

"I shall scout the boulders that run along the camp's east to find us a path around these guys. Thor you do the same along the west. Bruce you stay here in case any of our other friends come this way. I think the last thing we want is for those things to know we are here".

After they had both gave a nod of agreement, Banner and Thor helped Rogers carry out his plan.

* * *

Banner anxiously waited for his friends to return from their scouting trip. He did not feel slighted when Rogers asked him to stay behind while he and Thor scouted the area. Possessing the Hulk meant he was not helpless but he had no training in conducting a military reconnaissance. Whatever the Hulk's virtues, moving silently to avoid detection was not one of them.

Banner continued to crouch behind a boulder and observe the creatures they had found. He noticed that that they appeared to be uncomfortable when in direct sunlight. That would explain why the majority of them either kept wearing their helmets or fought among themselves to secure a shaded spot under the dozen tarpaulins set up in their camp. He wondered how they would fare in battle if they faced the Hulk. Then, remembering that Thor seemed to have some of his powers disabled Banner began to uncomfortably speculate. _What if it means the Hulk has been affected too? If Hulk had to fight these creatures with diminished strength does it mean he could be injured or even ki-_

Banner received an answer of a brutal sort with the immediate burst of pain he felt to the right side of his head. He staggered to stand up but fell to the ground when he felt a sharp blow to the back of his knees. After falling flat on his face, Banner then rolled over to see two of the creatures looking over him. One was green skinned with pointed ears that reminded Banner of Yoda's. It held a heaving looking club in its hand that Banner guessed was the source of the pain he was experiencing. The other creature had blotchy, black skin with its eyes peering through a visor attached to the helmet it wore. This creature pointed a spear towards Banner's face. Despite the throbbing in his skull the first thing Banner thought was '_Why wasn't the Hulk provoked by that'?_

The green-skinned creature spoke to Banner first. "Well, well. What do we 'ave here?" The creature squealed in the worst British cockney accent that Banner had heard in his life. "Think yer can spy on us Orcs unnoticed because it's daylight Man"?

_What are Orcs? Is that what these ugly things call themselves_? Banner thought to himself.

"If its Orcs yer wanna see, we'll introduce ya to all the lads!" The club carrying orc said with sarcastic courtesy. It grabbed Banner's right arm roughly while its companion grabbed his left. Restraining him in this manner, the two orcs roughly pulled Banner out from the crop of boulders and into the camp. Banner tried not to gag after he smelt the two orc's appalling odour. As they escorted him through their camp, the other orcs sneered at Banner with their sharp teeth, enjoying the pain and discomfort he appeared to be in. The orcs escorting Banner halted at a tarpaulin in the northern part of the camp where they were joined by about ten of their comrades who stood either side of them. _Where are you?_ Banner silently asked the Hulk inside him.

"Hey boss! Look what we 'ave here!" The club carrying orc proclaimed to the tarpaulin's sole inhabitant. A large orc wearing heavy plate armour dull grey in colour stood up from the stool it was sitting on. It stepped towards to the group gathered outside its tarpaulin. Banner guessed by its look and demeanour that it was these 'Orc's' commanding officer. It was a good deal taller than its brethren as it was about four inches taller than him, it being about Captain America's height of 6'2". The brown colour of its skin reminded Banner of that seen on human corpses that had been badly burned. The 'Commander' ran its yellow pupil eyes over Banner while baring its black teeth.

"Where did you find him?" it asked the two orcs who were restraining Banner. To Banner its voice appeared a lot deeper than the British cockney that seemed to be the orcs normal accent.

"He was 'iding behind the rocks to the south of us!" answered the orc that had notified the Commander of their captive.

The Commander walked to be about a foot away from Banner's face. It had drawn in its right hand a hooked dagger with a black blade that still appeared sharp despite the numerous scratches and notches it contained. It pointed the dagger under Banner's nose. Banner tried to rouse the Hulk with a command that Rogers had gave him before he entered battle against the Chitauri. _Now would be a good time for you to get angry._ The Hulk still gave no response.

"What's your name? Who are you spyin' for?" The Commander queried Banner in an even tone.

"My name is Bruce Banner and I am not spying for anyone." Banner answered in a surprisingly calm manner given the injuries the orcs had given him. Banner began to feel that the pain from these injuries had begun to recede though.

After appearing to consider Banner's reply for a second or two, the Commander replied "You 'ave a funny name Man. As for you sayin' yer not spying..." in a quick motion the Commander slashed his dagger across Banner's left cheek causing him to scream in pain. The Commander then shouted at him "My boys caught you hidin' behind rocks looking at us! Whatever you were doin' I'm pretty sure yer weren't preparing us lunch"!

The orcs gathered around Banner laughed evilly and coarsely at their Commander's cruel wit. One of them, who Banner couldn't see, added "Hey sir! Maybe he could _be_ our lunch"! A number of the orcs spoke "yeah" in agreement. They were quickly silenced by a single glare from the Commander.

"All of you maggots hold your tongues before I eat 'em for _my _lunch!" The Commander threatened them.

Banner was getting more than worried that the Hulk had not made an appearance despite all the orcs' provocation. While the Commander was berating his troops, Banner tried to analyse the situation even though he felt blood streaming down his face spilling on to his clothes. Surely Steve and Thor would have heard all the commotion in the camp resulting from his capture? As they were respectively both a soldier and a warrior were they waiting for the right moment to attack to aid him? In the Hulk's seeming absence, Banner thought it best to buy some time.

"Look," he said to the Commander "I don't even know where I am, what country is-" the Commander cut off the rest of Banner's question with a powerful punch to his stomach with his gauntleted left hand. Banner sunk to his knees at the pain of the blow as well as wincing due the orcs restraining him twisting his arms even harder.

"Speak when spoken to worm!" The Commander barked at Banner causing the attending orcs to sadistically snigger at Banner's plight.

As he struggled to gather a breath, Banner finally felt the 'Other Guy' rousing within him. Glaring at the Commander, Banner let the Hulk release a deep, blood chilling snarl at it. The snarl suddenly halted the attending orcs laughter. A number of them exchanged nervous glances at hearing the sound. If the Commander shared their concerns he did not show it.

"A man who can growl like a troll." The Commander observed sarcastically to Banner. "Let's see if you can also scream like one when I cut yer eye out".

A number of thoughts rushed through Banner's head. _Did the Other Guy feel he just had to make a token noise to deal with these orcs? Where are Thor and Rogers? I am sure the 'Trolls' that the Commander referred to are not the ones who blogged on the internet._

In a panic, inwardly Banner was practically the begging the Hulk to come out as the Commander moved his dagger towards his left eye. Banner then felt a hot liquid spray over him.


	4. New Realms, New Companions

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

**Chapter 4 – New Realms, New Companions**

Banner and the orcs around him looked up and quickly found the source of the spray. The Orc Commander's now headless body was spouting orc blood from where its neck used to be connected with its body. Banner could feel that some of the blood had fallen onto his lips. It was black, sticky and the foulest liquid – no, _thing_ - he had ever tasted. After a second, as it no longer had a head to direct it, the Commander's body toppled back before hitting the ground. The dagger the Commander held dropped in front of Banner.

The attending orcs were still reeling in the shock of this sight when the pained shrieks of the other orcs in their unit made them snap their heads around to see what was happening. What they saw was that a few of their number had shared the fate of their Commander with their decapitated bodies lying on the ground. The orcs focused their attention the source of this decapitation – a fast moving, circular blur moving eastwards through their camp. There was one more surprise for the orcs to behold. The blur came to a rapid halt as a tall man wearing a strange blue uniform and mask effortlessly plucked it out of the air. The blur revealed itself to be a round shield of blue, red and white colours and the man held it across from his body as though he meant to throw it again.

The orc that restrained Banner by holding his left arm broke out of its stunned silence "Get 'im boys"!

Satisfied he had drawn the attention of these creatures away from Banner; Rogers quickly assessed the situation. It appeared the whole company of these creatures, except for a handful around Banner, swarmed towards him with their ugly weapons raised. They appeared to think that, as he was just one man he presented an easy prey. For the half dozen orcs who reached him first, it was the first time they had engaged Captain America in battle. For all them it would be their last.

Rogers effortless dodged the attacks of their weapons and deflected others with his shield. The orcs that engaged him received a brutal demonstration of his shield's offensive hand-to-hand capabilities when Rogers used it to cut through their armour, killing them with it as if he used the sharpest of swords. Those that did not receive the treatment of his shield he dispatched with rapid, superhuman punches to their faces that cracked their skulls.

Seeing so many of their kin being killed by just one man made many orcs release angry cries towards Rogers. Though his skill made the orcs approach him with more caution, they still greatly outnumbered him and did not lose confidence there would be soon too many for him to handle. The orcs who were archers in the company took aim at Rogers looking to take him down at distance. Their concentration was broken by a might battle cry to the west directly behind them.

* * *

Thor scattered the orc archers using Mjolnir. So taken in surprise and speed of Thor's attacks, not one orc archer was able to fire an arrow at the Avengers before being killed.

Thor saw a number of the orcs running towards Rogers stop and then turn to attack him instead. This included the remaining orcs that directly surrounded Banner except for the two restraining him. Seeing Rogers was still preoccupied, Thor took it upon himself to get to Banner. Preventing him was the problem of number of orcs converging on him in a tight mass. Thor smiled when he thought he found the solution.

Thor twirled Mjolnir as he had previously but this time he drove it into the ground. Thor heard a loud thud but not the lightning storm he used Mjolnir to summon.

Looking at Mjolnir, Thor grimly remarked to himself "One out of four".

The orcs looking to engage Thor initially halted as they observed the man's strange behaviour of swinging around a war hammer and then hitting the ground with it. Seeing the man's actions had not harmed them, the orcs then resumed their charge to him. They would find out that the man did not need a lightning storm scatter them.

Although some of Mjolnir's power seemed to have absented, the ones that directly enhanced Thor's ability as a warrior remained. Sweeping through the orcs in front of him, Thor sent many of them flying as he moved towards Banner. The orcs poorly forged iron armour crumpled like tissue paper when pounded by Mjolnir's otherworldly metal that Thor wielded with godlike skill and strength. Although they were weak opponents by his standards, the God of Thunder enjoyed the irony contained in the shriek of one the creatures about to attack him:

"Watch out boys! The man's a demon!"

* * *

Banner had not been idle when he saw that his two friends had come to his aid. He noticed that the orcs directly surrounded him had moved to engage Rogers and Thor. He was now being restrained by the two orcs who each had a painful hold on one of his arms. When he felt the grip of the orc on his right loosen - maybe in shock to the ferocity displayed by his fellow Avengers – Banner took his chance.

Although the Hulk declined his invitation to appear, Banner was far from helpless. In the years he hid in Brazil after the Hulk first emerged, Banner took up intensive martial arts training as means of controlling the beast within him. The training gave him the discipline to prevent the Hulk's emergence for over five months. Although he credited having a more settled life as the main reason, his training also played its part in the resulting absence of the Hulk since the Chitauri invasion. But his martial arts training also gave him the skills to competently defend himself as well as disarm and neutralise would be attackers. The orcs restraining him were about to be at the receiving end of these skills.

Banner grabbed the arm of the orc that loosened its grip and tangled his foot behind one of its arches. With a sharp twist of his hand, Banner felt the orc fall backwards and heard a metallic thud when it hit the ground. With his right arm free in one swift motion Banner picked up the Commander's dagger from the ground and plunged it in to the stomach of the orc to his left. As the orc fell Banner claimed the spear that was falling from its dead hand and scrambled to his feet. The orc that Banner had flipped over, the very one that had first apprehended him, lifted its head up from the ground only to scream in horror when Banner thrust the spear he held into its head. Although pleased his tormentor was dispatched; Banner winced as he felt the pain from the injuries these 'Orcs' had inflicted on him.

Thor finally defeated the remaining orcs that were between him and Banner. He put a supporting hand on Banner's back

"We had not abandoned you my friend". Thor stated.

"I know you wouldn't". Banner replied "But I really would have appreciated it if you showed up a few minutes earlier".

Thor smirked then stilled when he noticed Rogers was being slowly surrounded by the remaining orcs. "Well then let us not be late in helping our Captain." Thor said before charging into the remaining orcs.

Banner gritted his teeth as he hobbled after Thor, his movement slowed by the blow he received from the orc's club to the back of his legs. But as Rogers may have saved his life he was determined to help his friend no matter how hurt he felt.

* * *

The Fellowship had picked up its pace since the incidents of the morning, curious to determine the source of the smoke and flash of light. As they drew closer to the source of the smoke, Legolas occasionally paused to sense, once remarking to the other Fellowship members "I feel blood is being spilt". At this remark Gandalf and Aragorn silently looked at each other with the same concern. They had hoped that they could avoid conflict as while the Fellowship had a number of skilled warriors, the Fellowship's success depended greatly on remaining unnoticed in their travels.

The source of the smoke seemed to be just beyond a low rising hill to the front of them. Beyond the hill also seemed to be the source of a great many cries, screams and noises that the non-Hobbits in the fellowship recognised immediately.

"Battle is joined!" Legolas exclaimed quietly before running quickly and silently to the crest of the hill.

"Wait here." Aragorn calmly commanded the rest of the Fellowship as he chased after his Elven friend.

Aragorn ran about 100 yards from the Fellowship to Legolas who was already in a prone position, making himself inconspicuous as he peered over the crest of the hill. Aragorn moved as quietly as possible to be next to Legolas copying his position when he reached him. Both the Man and Elf were taken aback by what they saw.

The smoke source was easily revealed as a campfire but as if to underline Boromir's earlier warning to Merry this was an Orc camp. But the camp was littered with the corpses of many of its inhabitants who had appeared to have been crushed, stabbed or decapitated. The surviving orcs – Aragorn guessed about 50 – had surrounded a group of three men dressed unlike any he had seen in Middle-Earth. A masked man in blue livery defended _and_ attacked with a round shield with a white star as its coat of arms. A young blond headed man with a short beard (Rohirrim maybe?) wore dark armour and a majestic red cloak while scattering orcs with the war hammer that he wielded. Aragorn's attention finally fell on the remaining man who used an orc spear as a fighting staff and wore a purple shirt and trousers made of a blue coarse material. Legolas' attention was on this man as well.

"The short man suffers wounds to his face and given his movement I would say to his legs also." Legolas quietly commented "If his injuries give way it could lead to the downfall of the three of them".

Aragorn nodded his agreement to his friend's observations. The other odd sight was that there were no bodies of any other men around the camp. Aragorn thought _did the three of them attack the camp themselves? _To have taken down by themselves what appeared half of the orcs that inhabited the camp clearly indicated they were warriors of enormous skill or mad or both.

Aragorn whispered to Legolas "Keep observing them. I will go and tell the others".

The remaining members of the Fellowship witnessed Legolas and Aragorn lying on the hill wondering what they were observing. They all moved forwards when they saw Aragorn running back towards them. Although the sounds of battle swirled, Aragorn did not want to risk drawing the battle participant's attention by raising his voice.

"It's an Orc camp." Aragorn said plainly as soon as he reached the Fellowship. "They do battle with three strangely garbed men. The men appear be holding their own but one looks to be injured and they are still greatly outnumbered".

"Men are doing battle with orcs." Boromir stated firmly, withdrawing his sword from its scabbard and moving his shield off his back to be held by his left forearm. "As they are fellow men I will aid them, whether they be strangely garbed or not".

Gimli appeared to follow Boromir as he held his two handed axe as if ready for battle.

"Wait!" Boromir and Gimli stopped at Gandalf's sharp command. Gandalf looked to the four Hobbits. Gandalf saw the worry on their faces as soon as Aragorn had said the word "Orc". Gandalf sounded almost apologetic as he addressed them.

"Good Shire-folk I had hoped we could have avoided battle this early in our journey but it would appear our aid is needed".

After they had taken in Gandalf's words, it was Sam who spoke first.

"Mr Gandalf the nine of us are all on this quest to save the world. If the world needs saving here, we're willing to do our part".

Sam then drew his short sword and his three fellow hobbits followed his example. Bill, their pack pony seemed to snort his consent as well. Frodo noticed the blade on his sword 'Sting' glowing light blue. He recalled when his Uncle Bilbo gifted him 'Sting' he said that it would glow when orcs were close.

The four other Fellowship members with them smiled at the courage and spirit displayed by the Hobbits.

"Well-spoken Master Samwise." Gandalf replied raising his bushy eyebrows in approval. But all levity left his voice as he quickly issued warning. "However until I say, stay behind this hill." The Hobbits nodded in understanding.

"Come my friends," Gandalf said as he turned to climb the hill. "Let us hope those brave men still stand".

* * *

Rogers blocked another orcs blow with his shield before breaking the same orcs face with a powerful sharp kick.

Rogers mentally took stock of the battle. The good news was that because the three Avengers were no longer separated by any of these creatures it allowed them to fight as a single unit. The bad news was that these savage creatures had now surrounded them and they still outnumbered him and his two friends by a wide margin. This would not be a problem under 'normal' circumstances with Thor being able to release his full powers and Banner unleashed as the Hulk. But for whatever reason neither of these two things had happened. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Banner appeared to be tiring probably from the injuries he had sustained. Rogers pondered an uncomfortable thought - _In the Hulk's absence does that mean that Bruce can now be killed as any other man?_ Although he would never give up Rogers knew that without his friends having their full powers, his and their chances of surviving this battle were rapidly diminishing.

As he turned to face an orc to his right before he could engage it Rogers saw the orc roll its eyes and tumble face down lifelessly to the ground. Rogers saw the cause of this orc's demise was an arrow with yellow fletching sticking at the back of its head. Two more orcs near Rogers fell in quick succession by arrows of this type as well. At the same time, Thor and Banner witnessed an orc's demise by an arrow that entered its throat sideways. For a moment Banner had thought their fellow Avenger and master archer Hawkeye had joined the battle.

The Avengers and orcs halted their combat and looked at the summit of the low hill to the north of them.

Rogers saw three men dressed in what he could only describe as medieval like clothing. Two of the men held bows – obviously the source of the arrows he had just witnessed - both were long haired but one had black hair and a beard while the other's hair was golden and appeared to have a clean, youthful complexion. The third man had a long grey beard and held a wooden staff and stood between the two archers. _Why is the old man wearing grey robes and a pointy hat? _Rogers wondered. _Is he supposed to be some kind of magician_?

Rogers' last question was answered when the said old man firmly tapped the ground with his staff. From the top of his staff a light shone reminding Banner of the sun reflecting off a mirror. Unlike ordinary mirror reflected sunlight, none of the Avengers found the light from the old man's staff uncomfortable to look at. The orcs were another matter. All of them either turned their backs or dropped their weapons as they threw hands to cover their eyes. Their screams confirmed the blinding pain the light caused them.

Thor did not hesitate to make the most of the advantage that presented itself. Using Mjolnir, Thor smashed and sent the stunned orcs flying, as they were now completely defenceless against its might. Taking Thor's lead, Banner plunged the spear he had acquired into any orc close to him. Rogers was about to join them when he noticed the light from the staff receding and saw four men charging down the hill announcing their arrival with a strong battle cry.

Rogers noticed two of the men were the archers he had originally spotted although the black haired one now seemed to now be holding a two handed sword instead of a bow. One of the new men was about the same height as the dark haired one though his hair and beard were of a fairer colour. This man held a sword and carried a shield on his arm although unlike Rogers' this man's shield appeared crafted out of steel with a leather hide. Rogers also noticed that a white horn, possibly crafted from ivory, hung around his belt.

It was the appearance of other new man that Rogers was taken aback by. He looked to be just over four feet in height with thick facial features on which hanged a think red beard. Rogers tried to figure out if this man suffered from one of those 'genetic abnormalities' that Banner explained to him once. The short man took down two of the creatures in rapid succession with the two handed axe he carried. The man's short stature did not diminish his ability as a warrior.

The old man seemed to be following just behind the other four men at a speed that belied his age. The old man was now carrying a sword in the opposite hand to the one that held his staff.

An orc that had covered its eyes with both its hands blindly bumped into Rogers. Berating himself for losing focus, Rogers cut through the orcs armour with his shield. Introductions could wait, for now Rogers was glad he could finish the battle with the odds in his favour.

* * *

Boromir cut down another orc that stood in front of him. He admitted to himself that Gandalf was right to have restrained him from entering the battle immediately. After Legolas and Aragorn had got the orcs attention with their arrows, Gandalf's 'magic' proved to be a great aid. However Gandalf warned the Fellowship that the blindness that his spell caused the orcs would quickly dissipate. With that warning in their minds, Boromir and his fellow warriors had to kill as many orcs as possible while they had the advantage.

Boromir noted that the members of the Fellowship who joined him in this battle were just doing that with their various weapons. Seeing no orc was in his immediate vicinity, Boromir quickly assessed men they had aided.

Given the bruise and cut on his face, the short curly haired man must have been the injured one that Aragorn referred to. Boromir couldn't be sure but the man seemed to be now moving more freely than when he first saw him. He did not have the 'look' of a soldier but the way he used the orc spear in his hands showed he had more than a passing knowledge of the fighting arts.

From the clean, flowing movement shown by the masked man as he fought, Boromir had little doubt he was a soldier of some kind. However the masked man moved at a speed and stamina that even an Elf would be hard pressed to match. But it was the way that the man used his shield that most interested Boromir. The man used the shield, which was bigger than the one he carried, as both a means of protection and a weapon as he did not seemed to be armed with anything else. This was unlike any fighting style Boromir had seen or read about.

Boromir gasped when he saw the remaining man using his one-handed war hammer to send orcs flying for several yards in all directions. The man was certainly taller than average and even though he wore strange armour Boromir could tell he had a powerful physique. Even so, the man must possess the strength of a Troll to scatter enemies in the way he did.

"They're getting away!" A shout from Gimli grabbed Boromir from these thoughts.

The remaining orcs had regained their sight as Gandalf predicted. Seeing their numbers were much diminished, and given the skill of the enemies they faced, they decided that this battle was no longer worth fighting. They routed towards the group of boulders and rocks to the south that the Avengers originally spied them from.

Legolas knew the danger the Fellowship could face if even one orc got away to warn others of its kind. He began to shoot arrows at in rapid succession. Rogers aimed and threw his shield at the routing orcs. Four of them were dissected in half by the shield as it flew through their ranks. An arrow from Legolas cut down the last surviving orc.

Legolas turned to his right where Rogers stood and gave him a single nod with a small smile. Rogers was glad that a military gesture of appreciation and acknowledgment appeared to be used in this place. He returned the gesture only to pause at the sight of the 'young man's' pointed ears. The riddle behind his appearance and that of the short man with the red beard could wait. Rogers did not want to appear to be ungrateful to them or the other three men who had helped them. But he had to see how Banner was given he had been wounded by the creatures they had just fought.

Confident that the orcs had been dealt with Gandalf turned around to the north and shouted so the Hobbits hiding behind the hill could hear him "It's alright Frodo! You and your friends can come down now!"

Rogers pulled off his mask as he ran towards Banner. Now that he could see his face, Boromir thought that the masked man could not even be as old as his younger brother Faramir was. By the time Rogers reached Banner he noticed the black haired man had moved to assist Bruce as well.

"How hurt are you my friend?" Aragorn politely asked Banner.

"Aside from wanting to get this black sticky stuff of my clothes I'm fine." Banner replied casually.

Aragorn suppressed the need to roll his eyes. As a healer, the most common response from nearly all wounded men to who he offered his services was that they were 'fine' even when their injuries or discomfort clearly showed they were not. While he could stop his eyes from rolling he could not stop them widening from what he saw. The deep cut in the man's face was _fading_! Most cuts like this healed over time after they had been treated. But this cut had not been treated at all yet there was now no trace of it on the man's face. For any man this was a most unnatural occurrence!

Seeing Banner was being looked to, Thor took it upon himself to start the conversation with the Avenger's allies of the moment.

"Our humble thanks for your assistance, friends." Thor thanked the Fellowship in a regal tone befitting his position as Crown Prince of Asgard.

"We are grateful we were in a position to offer you our assistance my lords". Gandalf replied correctly guessing that by the way he spoke this blond haired man was of noble birth.

Both Rogers and Banner walked a few steps to stand beside Thor. Aragorn was still stunned by witnessing the way the short man's wounds had healed but decided not to pursue it for now. He, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli gathered closer around Gandalf.

Pointing at the bodies strewn around the campsite Thor asked "Please pardon my ignorance but what manner of creatures are these"?

Thor was surprised when it was Banner who answered "One of them who captured me said they were called 'Orcs'".

_At least two of these three men are professional warriors_ Boromir thought. _How can they not know what orcs are?_

"Before we discuss what orcs are perhaps introductions are in order". Gandalf politely suggested.

The Avengers introduced themselves separately – "Captain Steve Rogers", "Thor Odinson", and "Bruce Banner". At their replies Aragorn thought Thor's accent similar to a Rohirrim's but this 'Banner' and 'Rogers' accents were unlike any he had heard in his travels across Middle-earth.

Noting the men's names Gandalf replied "I am the Wizard known as Gandalf the Grey. To my right are Aragorn, son of Arathorn; Boromir, son of Denethor and to my left are Legolas Greenleaf of the Woodland Realm; and Gimli, son of Gloin". Both Rogers and Banners assumed that as he did much of the talking this 'Gandalf' appeared to be the leader of the group. The other thing they thought was that the five individuals had unusual names.

Thor's attention was focused on Legolas and Gimli. Thor had much more experience than Rogers and Banner with races other than Man. Given their physical characteristics, Thor assumed Legolas and Gimli were an Elf and a Dwarf respectively. Thor made this assumption as Asgard was 'bordered' by separate realms of elves and dwarves that were traditional allies of Asgard. However, to Thor both Legolas and Gimli were dressed in an unfamiliar style. He sought to clarify if either of them were from the elven and dwarven realms he was familiar with.

"Master Elf, you are not from Alfheim?" Thor asked Legolas before turning to Gimli. "Master Dwarf is not Nidavellir your home?"

Legolas shook his head "Alas I am unaware of any realm called 'Alfheim'. I am a Prince of Mirkwood".

Sensing an opening to rile the Elf, Gimli responded "Unlike my pointy eared friend here I have no royal title but unless 'Nidavellir' is another name for The Lonely Mountain it is not my home".

Banner and Rogers shared a look as the result of the conversation between the three non-humans. Until now, both had thought that 'elves' and 'dwarves' were creatures that existed only in fairy tales and myth or populated the worlds in the fantasy novels that Banner liked to read as a teenager. But in this world here they existed in flesh and blood.

The Avengers heard the sound of footsteps coming from just behind Gandalf and his companions. Hearing the noise Gandalf stepped aside to introduce the four individuals who stopped just behind him.

"And if I can introduce the final and most important members of our Fellowship, from the Shire I present you Masters Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took." The four Hobbits either nodded or waved as Gandalf introduced them.

If the Elf and Dwarf puzzled Banner, he was utterly mystified by the four individuals Gandalf had just introduced. He initially thought that Gandalf and the others had children accompanying them in their group, one was even guiding a pony carrying what appeared to be gear for camping. But the faces of these individuals had adult features even if they were of child height. Due to his medical studies Banner was aware of the symptoms of adults who had Dwarfism but these individuals did not seem to possess them. Both Rogers and Thor shared Banner's astonishment.

Gandalf gave a knowing smile. He immediately recognised Thor, Roger's and Banner's reaction as the one that many gave when they met Shire-folk for the first time.

"I know Hobbits or Halflings are often thought of as legends across the lands." Gandalf happily instructed to the three Avengers. "But as you can see with your own eyes they are quite real".

Rogers was the first to reply "I mean no offence to you and your friends Sir. But I don't think any of us have even heard of 'Hobbits'". Just to be sure Rogers looked at Thor who shook his head in response. Rogers continued "To be honest we don't even know what this land is".

"We are currently standing in the region of Eregion which is one of the lands of Eriador". Gandalf informed them.

"Eregion, Eriador" Thor pondered the words aloud. "I do not know of any lands within the Nine Realms with these names".

Pippin, the youngest hobbit, could not contain his curiosity about these strange men any more. "Surely you've heard of Middle-earth before?" He piped up.

"Earth is the name of the world Steve and I come from but it's never had 'Middle' as a prefix" Banner admitted.

Gandalf hid his annoyance of Pippin's interruption. He was very fond of Pippin, but his natural curiosity sometimes lead him say and do things (usually with his cousin Merry) that exhausted even Gandalf's seemingly limitless patience. However Pippin's question seemed to cause other members of the Fellowship to ask their own.

"Maybe you can tell us how you got here and how long you have been travelling?" Aragorn suggested.

"Bruce and I were standing with some friends in the New Mexico desert waiting for Thor to arrive from Asgard." Rogers recalled slowly. "Just after the Bifrost opened there was a vortex that dragged the three of us here a few hours ago." Rogers then talked about their encounter with the orcs before the arrival of the Fellowship.

Except for Gandalf, the blank looks on the rest of the Fellowship indicated to Rogers that they were dumbfounded by many if not all aspects of his story. Merry whispered to his fellow Hobbits "What's a vortex"? Gandalf's face remained neutral through and after Rogers told his tale.

"That's very interesting Captain Rogers." Gandalf replied in a thoughtful manner. "Could you please excuse us for a moment"?

Two separate huddles formed only a few yards apart, one consisting of the Fellowship and the other of the Avengers. Both began talking among themselves in hushed tones.

* * *

Rogers looked at Banner and came straight to the point "What happened back there Bruce? Where was the Other Guy when we were being attacked"?

"I don't know." Banner replied "When those 'Orcs' were questioning me I tried to make him come out but he didn't appear even interested. It's never happened before. Seeing the injuries I got have gone He must still be in me somehow".

Rogers paused for a moment before saying to Thor and Banner "Given that and what happened to you earlier Thor I am beginning to think that vortex has negated or diminished our powers somehow." As an afterthought Rogers reflected that his abilities appeared to be the same though.

"If you are right Steve" Banner said, "we could be stuck here for a while considering we have no way of communicating with either of our homes".

"Both things also mean the peril we face in this land is increased." Thor added before nodding his head in the direction of the Fellowship. "If our companions offer to join them I think we should do so. Despite their different races, I sense all of them to be honourable types and they appear very knowledgeable about this realm. It also goes without saying that more than half of them are skilled warriors as well".

Rogers looked to Banner who nodded his agreement with Thor's argument. Rogers finally spoke "Alright. But if they don't make the offer let's ask them if they can give us directions to the nearest settlement so we can figure our next move".

* * *

Gandalf opened discussion in the Fellowship's huddle.

"I think their story well beyond the ability of the most imaginative spy and they do not have the look of mad men either. What does everyone else think"?

In situations such as this the Fellowship's members were equals so Gandalf had no complaint when Pippin spoke first.

"Well I didn't understand a lot of what they said but they seem nice enough." Pippin always tried to see the upside in things. His ability to provide this simple cheer made him as valuable to the Fellowship as any of its greatest warriors.

"Appearances can be deceptive Master Took." Legolas cautioned. "The Enemy has servants of many guises".

"Nonsense, Elf." Gimli scoffed earning a withering look from Legolas. "Would servants of the Enemy go through the trouble of fighting for life and limb against a band of orcs just to gain our attention and trust? If those three were the 'Great Power' you supposedly sensed, I say that's a power we should try to have on our side".

"Peace Gimli." Boromir gently chided. "But in a sense I agree with you. If the three of them wished to harm us on the Enemy's behalf they could have simply set an ambush with the orcs and overwhelmed us in numbers. Given the battle prowess they demonstrated it would not be hard for them to do so".

Gandalf noted Boromir's sound reasoning but he did not voice his agreement with it. The reason was that in the end this quest was the Ringer-bearer's and Gandalf did not want to unduly influence his decisions.

"Frodo," he asked "what do you think we should do?"

Frodo thought it was the second time that Gandalf has asked him to make a decision for all the Fellowship. The first decision resulted in their retreat from Caradhas to their current route. He still felt very uncomfortable about it, as there were other Fellowship members more knowledgeable about Middle-earth than he. Like that decision he simply had to trust his feelings.

"I think we should ask them to come with us if all of you agree. I think this encounter shows we will need all the help we can get".

As there was no dissent expressed to Frodo's suggestion Gandalf said with simple finality "So be it".

"Nonetheless Legolas has point." Aragorn warned. "While the three of them seem honourable there is still much mystery that surrounds them. For one I witnessed the short man's wounds heal themselves in a matter of moments. Until we know more about them I suggest we say nothing of the Ring to them."

The Fellowship huddle broke up after they all agreed to what Aragorn had said.

* * *

Rogers, Thor and Banner were already waiting for the Fellowship after it had concluded its deliberations. It was Gandalf who spoke to them.

"My lords," he proclaimed "while you try to find a way back to your homes you would be most welcome to join us. While I am sure we all have a lot of questions to ask each other I suggest we start moving in case more orcs may be in this vicinity".

"Master Wizard, we accept your gracious offer." Thor replied on the Avengers behalf.

So the Fellowship continued its journey with three new and very different members.


	5. Many Conversations

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Many Conversations**

The Fellowship of the Ring, now twelve in number, continued its journey southwards. After their battle with the orcs, Banner, Thor and Rogers were grateful for the bread, dry meat and dried fruit the rest of the Fellowship had offered them to slake their hunger. They passed close by the location that that the three Avengers had originally arrived in Middle-earth. Aragorn accompanied Rogers to quickly investigate the location to see if there had been any new arrivals from New Mexico. Rogers was impressed by the wilderness skills displayed by the Ranger when he advised him he could see no fresh tracks.

It was now afternoon. As Gandalf observed, the original Fellowship and its new members had many questions to ask each other. To assist this Thor, Rogers and Banner spread themselves among the other members of the Fellowship. At the head of the Fellowship's column both Gandalf and Thor conversed.

"So your family is the ruling house of this Asgard?" Gandalf asked Thor.

"Yes." Thor proudly replied. "I am the eldest of the All-Father Odin who has been King of Asgard for many an age."

At the mention of his father's name, Thor noticed a spark of recognition in Gandalf's eyes. Gandalf peered into the distance as he tried to recollect the name.

"Odin. I have heard that name somewhere before." Gandalf murmured. After a brief moment, the Wizard shook his head in regret. "My apologies Prince of Asgard but at my age my memory is not as good as what it used to be. But if I understand you correctly Asgard is a separate world to the one your two friends reside in".

Thor nodded before explaining further "There is a Bridge called the Bifrost that allows my people to travel almost instantaneously to Midgard or 'Earth' as Banner and Roger's people prefer to call it. We in Asgard prefer not to interfere in the affairs of Midgard's people but we are pledged to aid them should they face a threat they themselves cannot stand against. In fact my last visit to Earth was just over a few months ago to stop an invasion led by my brother Loki".

Gandalf was disturbed by the last part of Thor's answer. Gandalf was acquainted with the results of political strife and wars in Middle-earth caused by familial rivalry within ruling houses. If Thor had found a way to Middle-earth could this 'Loki' do likewise? He needed to know what sort of a threat their sibling rivalry could pose to the Free-Peoples.

"Why did your brother take up arms against you as well your people and those of Earth?" Gandalf was glad he couched this question as sensitively as he could as he could tell from the look on Thor's face and the sound of his voice that the incident greatly pained him.

"I am not sure when it started," Thor began "but at some point Loki began to believe, unjustly, that our father loved him less than he loved me. In response Loki resolved that he should be the ruler of Asgard. Through his intrigues he was almost successful until I, my Father and my friends prevented him at the very last moment. However, at this very moment he slipped through our grasp and we believed him dead.

"Twelve months later Loki re-emerged. He decided as a form of twisted recompense that if he could not be ruler of Asgard then he would be ruler of Earth instead. He led an invasion force that Earth's people had on their own no chance of stopping. Fortunately I was able to aid Rogers, Banner and others in stopping the invasion at its early stages.

"As of now my brother sits bound and gagged in Asgard's most secure cell, stripped of all his power and titles. When I visit him I do so in the hope – I think our mother is the only one who shares this with me – that he will see the error of his ways and come back to us. But all I see in his eyes is a burning hatred of me and all that oppose his ambitions".

Gandalf let out an audible sigh in both sympathy and understanding to Thor. "Betrayal cuts deep in our world as well Thor." He said. "The route we are travelling is in part so as to avoid the attentions of Saruman who resides in Isengard which is to the south of us".

"Who is this 'Saruman'?" Thor asked

"The former White Wizard." Gandalf explained. "He was the head of my Order that is called the Istari. He was wise, powerful and I thought him a good friend. But at some point without the rest of us knowing he strayed from his true purpose. Like your brother, he has ended up believing that the great power in his possession should be used to rule over others rather than to serve them. I myself walked into a trap of his and Saruman held me prisoner at the top of the Tower of Orthanc. I only escaped after the greatest stroke of luck.

"I am not at liberty to discuss the full nature of the quest my companions and I have embarked on. All I can say is that our quest is of great importance to the future of Middle-earth and Saruman would very much like to prevent us from succeeding.

"I think the reason that betrayal hurts deeply Thor is not so much that it is an act done by those we trust. Its hurt comes from that we still care for the betrayer even though their actions merit we shouldn't".

Gandalf's appearance and wisdom reminded Thor of a similar man in Asgard. "Grey Wizard," Thor said "should you ever come to Asgard I shall introduce you to my father. I feel you two will get along well".

They both shared a smile at Thor's kind remark until they were interrupted by a polite cough to their right. Gimli had walked up beside both of them.

"Begging both your pardons." Gimli excused himself before giving a nod to Mjolnir that now hung on Thor's belt. "I must say that is a mighty fine hammer you have in your possession Master Thor".

"Thank you Master Gimli." Thor acknowledged the Dwarf's compliment. "Its name is Mjolnir. My father presented it to me when I first came of age. He said it was an appropriate companion to a king, as it could be used as a tool to build or a weapon to destroy".

"The greatest dwarf craftsmen from any age would be proud to create a hammer of its like." Gimli said with clear admiration.

"Well it may please to you know Gloin's son," Thor informed him "that Mjolnir was crafted by the dwarves whose realm borders Asgard. They were able to exact quite a high price from my father over many years for its possession. They thought this was just as they had forged Mjolnir within the heart of a dying star".

"Forged in the heart of a dying star?" Gimli did not hide his scepticism to what Thor had just said. Quickly changing tone Gimli continued "Oh I do not doubt your word Odinson. But as far as I know the stars at night have been the same for generations. A Dwarf who claims to have used a dying one as a forge is probably speaking through the excess of ale he has consumed".

"Dwarves," Gandalf commented with a twinkle in his eye "both master crafters and proudly stubborn. It would appear Master Thor that betrayal is not the only thing common to our worlds".

* * *

Following a few steps behind Gandalf, Thor and Gimli were Boromir and Rogers. Boromir was interested in getting some answers about the fighting methods employed by their three new companions against the orcs they had encountered earlier today. Boromir was glad that this 'Steve Rogers' appeared to be a polite, plain speaking military man like himself. Boromir walked to the left of Rogers, both men carried their respective shields over their shoulder.

"Are all the soldiers of your country dressed and armed such as yourself?" Boromir asked gesturing to Roger's shield.

"No sir." Rogers responded respectfully.

"Captain Rogers we are all equals in this Fellowship." Boromir advised. "If I allow you to call me Boromir will you let me call you Steve"?

Rogers smiled and nodded his agreement. "You see Boromir," Rogers continued his answer to Boromir's question "my shield is made from a very rare metal called 'Vibranium'. When they developed it, I think my government used just about all of the vibranium in the world. As for my uniform it's pretty much a one-off as well. To raise the morale of the folks back home during the War, they dressed me in the uniform as it had all our national colours. They called me 'Captain America' – America being the name of my country. It took some getting used to considering I couldn't even enlist when war broke out".

Rogers grinned at the incredulous look on Boromir's face. "I know it's hard to believe," Rogers commented "but I used to be about a foot shorter and weigh a hundred pounds less. I couldn't even pass the basic physical due to a number of ailments I had".

Boromir's shock at what Rogers had told him was evident in his tone as he asked "Then how did you –".

"Get to how I am now?" Rogers finished for him. "In the end the only way I could join the army was if I volunteered to be part of a secret program. In the program I was the first to be given a treatment that increased your strength, agility and stamina to its outer limits. Unfortunately the man who developed the treatment, Abraham Erskine, was killed by a traitor in our ranks." Rogers paused for a moment at the recall of that sad memory. "With Erskine's death, the knowledge of the treatment died with him. So I was the first of the type of soldier that I am, and in many ways I am the last".

Boromir was greatly intrigued by Roger's story. He had participated in many of Gondor's military training programs ever since he entered adolescence. Indeed, as its current Captain-General he had improved the quality of these programs to such an extent they were considered among the finest in Middle-earth. But he had never heard of a program that could change a man's physique to the extent that Rogers had described and demonstrated. They may have lost the program's knowledge, but the military of this 'America' must be a lot more advanced than Gondor's to even sponsor it. He wondered if America was located in Middle-earth in parts unheard, as from Roger's description, it appeared to be a great nation of Men. As one of its prominent soldiers maybe Rogers could persuade America to be Gondor's ally. If Roger's prowess was a reflection of it, America's army may not bring victory against the growing darkness, but it could certainly help stem the current tide that Gondor found itself swimming against. Boromir's musings were stopped by a question from Rogers.

"So these 'Orcs' are enemies of yours?" he asked.

"They are the foot soldiers of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor". Boromir confirmed. "They are savage, merciless and live only to indulge their violent passions. I think your friend Bruce got a good taste of their ways".

"Is this 'Mordor' close by?"

"No, it is hundreds of leagues away. But Sauron's reach has grown very long in recent years. All the lands of the Free Peoples find themselves under attack by orcs and other foul creatures at his command." Boromir thought this was a good segue to inform Roger's of his own country's predicament. "But Sauron's threat is greatest to my own country Gondor as we are right on the border of Mordor. As its Captain-General I am charged with leading her defence".

Now it was Rogers turn to be surprised in the conversation. _Is Boromir saying that he is his country's Commander in Chief?_ Rogers remembered with pride the times he had met with General Eisenhower and greatly respected him as a superior. For good reason it was very rare for the General to enter the frontline of battle. Yet Boromir, with a seemingly similar position, entered into battle personally to help him and his friends.

"I know you wouldn't be here if there wasn't a good reason." Rogers enquired "But why are you here and not leading your nation's defence"?

Boromir nodded in agreement. "In normal circumstances you would be right Steve. But as Gondor's Captain-General I can assure you that our plight grows desperate in the face of Mordor's attacks. My father sent me to Rivendell to meet with the representatives of the other Free Peoples to try and secure their aid in our struggle". Remembering Aragorn's warning Boromir did not mention what his father had also asked him to secure.

Trying to see if he understood the implication of what Boromir said, Rogers asked "Is your father the King of Gondor"?

Rogers noted that Boromir looked over his right shoulder to the rear of the Fellowship's column where Aragorn and Legolas were. Rogers assumed that Boromir was just checking on their welfare. When he had finished looking Boromir turned to Rogers before replying.

"No my father holds the office of Steward. The last King of Gondor vacated the throne more than a thousand years ago. In the King's absence, the Stewards have ruled Gondor in their stead. The Stewards will continue their rule until the heir to Gondor's crown returns to claim it".

"Are there any descendants of the last King alive at all today?"

"Even if there are, they seem to have no interest in returning to Gondor. Maybe it's not surprising given that our people are losing hope in the face of Mordor's advance".

Rogers could hear in his words the great burden that Boromir felt. Rogers believed that a nation's people losing faith during times of war posed a greater threat to it than whatever armed forces an enemy could deploy. He recalled to Boromir his own experience.

"In the war I fought in, America and our allies struggled against a dictator that wanted all to kneel before him. Although we won we faced some pretty desperate times before we did. I believe that as long as good men and women are willing to fight for their nation's freedom, things are never hopeless".

Jaded by the struggle against Mordor, Boromir's mind would normally have cynically dismissed Roger's words. But the way he spoke made Roger's words spark something in Boromir. In his experience, Boromir found that veteran warriors (including him) developed pronounced feelings of world weariness. Despite all the fighting he seemed to have experienced, Rogers though retained a strong sense of idealism as well as a genuine patriotism. Despite having just met him, Boromir found himself quickly warming to Rogers.

"Captain America," Boromir declared as he placed a friendly hand on the taller man's shoulder "Gondor could use some soldiers like you".

* * *

As they shared his lack of military experience as such, Banner found that he could relate best to the Hobbits in the Fellowship. The scientist in Banner liked the innocent curiosity they displayed towards him and by the friendly manner they answered his own questions about them.

"If you don't mind me saying so," said Pippin to his right who seemed to be the most talkative of them "you don't look much like a soldier like your friends Master Banner".

"Bruce, please." Banner insisted. "No offence taken either Pippin as you are right. I'm more a Doctor". From his early observations of Middle-earth technology and the way the Hobbits had talked about their home, he assumed that the concept of researching gamma radiation might be lost on them. Banner chose to mention a career of his he thought they would have an understanding of.

"I'm sorry Bruce but what is a 'Doctor'?" Merry asked who was walking to his left.

_So much for that idea_ Banner thought before he replied "It's a profession that identifies illnesses and injuries and heals people of them".

"You're a bit like Strider then!" Sam commented who was just behind Merry leading Bill by the pony's reins.

"Strider?" Bruce said confused. "Who's 'Strider'?"

"That's a name that Aragorn goes by sometimes." Merry explained. "I guess it must seem strange to you a person going by a different name".

"Not really". Banner said as he remembered the numerous false names and identities he had used during his years on the run. He still had another identity that he could not so easily shed. "I have this…condition that when I get angry a whole different side of me comes out. My condition has been called 'The Hulk'".

"Oh." Merry, Pippin and Sam simply replied.

To his thinking Pippin thought Bruce's reply rather odd. As far as Pippin knew, no hobbit had suffered an illness called 'Hulk' after getting angry. Perhaps it was something that only affected Men. Having just met him, Pippin did not want to appear rude by asking Bruce about it. As Aragorn seemed to know a lot about ills and cures maybe he could quietly ask him what 'Hulk' was.

"We all show a different side of ourselves when we get angry Bruce". Merry tried to cheer Banner. "But it's not who you really are as a person".

"He's right Bruce." Sam agreed before nodding in Gandalf's direction. "Even Mr Gandalf got angry at me once when he caught me eavesdropping on a conversation he and Frodo were having. His anger scared me so much that I found myself begging him not to turn me into anything unnatural"!

Banner shared Merry and Pippin's laughter at Sam's remark. _Sam if you only knew the irony in talking to me about turning into something unnatural_ Banner thought. Sam's mention of Frodo made him realise that the remaining hobbit in the Fellowship had not said a word for quite some time. Banner looked over his right shoulder to where Frodo was walking. As he walked, Frodo's eyes were focused on the ground seemingly lost in thought. He also seemed to be rubbing his chest intently. Banner's instincts as a doctor kicked in as he spoke to him.

"Frodo are you alright? Are you feeling tight in the chest?"

Banner's question immediately woke Frodo from his thoughts. Banner saw Frodo look at him seemingly both alarmed and embarrassed that Banner had seen his actions.

"I am fine thanks Bruce. I am not sick it is just that I have a few things on my mind." Frodo said gently dismissing Banner's concerns. Taking Frodo at his word, Banner turned his gaze forwards again.

_The Halfling is lying to you Bruce Banner. He carries something that could be of great aid to you._

Banner gasped when he heard a seemingly disembodied voice say this to him. From the stirrings he felt inside him he knew the Hulk had heard it as well. In fact, the Hulk seemed to be pretty annoyed by it. Before he knew it, as the Hulk seemed to believe he was the voice's source, Banner glared at Frodo in anger.

"_WHAT DID YOU SAY?" _Banner growled at Frodo in the Hulk's guttural voice.

Frodo yelped in fright and rushed back a couple of paces to place some distance between himself and the rage directed towards him. The rest of the Fellowship immediately stopped, startled by Banner's outburst. Recognising the tone of voice, Thor and Rogers had both expected to see the Hulk revealed for all to see. Both were relieved when they saw it was still Banner standing there.

From the rear of the Fellowship, Aragorn rushed up and gently grabbed Frodo's shoulders in support of him. "Frodo is all well?" Aragorn asked concerned. Frodo shot a frightened look to Aragorn as a child looking to its father for reassurance. Seeing Frodo was not (at least physically) harmed Aragorn then stared at Banner with a mixture of concern, astonishment and anger.

Rogers slowly moved up to Banner and asked him in a cautious but knowing voice "Bruce"?

The Hulk's anger appeared to recede at Roger's question. Banner was appalled by what had just transpired. He had thought he had better control than ever over the Hulk's effects on his emotions. But the way he had snapped at Frodo was just like how he was after his accident when he struggled to prevent the Hulk from totally consuming his person. Then he remembered the voice he had just heard. Becoming the Hulk was not like flicking a light switch. For Banner, the Hulk was part of his consciousness always reminding him of his presence. Sometimes this presence was manifested in the form of inner voices of anger, self-loathing and despair. The voice he just heard though was nothing like that as its tone was of a seductive malice. Even having just gotten acquainted with them, the Hobbits including Frodo seemed incapable of saying anything like he just heard.

"I am sorry Frodo I had no right to speak to you like that." Banner apologised to him before looking around at the rest of the Fellowship. "I am sorry for scaring everyone like that. It's no excuse but it's been a very long day for me".

After his initial fright had left him, Frodo guessed from the way that Rogers had spoken to him it was not the first time that Bruce had acted like this. Combined with his ordeal with the orcs did the Ring trigger Banner's anger? Frodo remembered before departing Rivendell, the effect the Ring had on his Uncle Bilbo who desired it just for a moment.

Seeing in Banner's eyes the genuine remorse he felt for his behaviour Frodo politely accepted his apology. "It's alright Bruce I know you didn't mean it. Given what you have been through today, we understand".

"Indeed we do Frodo." Agreed Gandalf who had walked up to Frodo unnoticed. Rogers sensed that by the way he raised his eyebrows as he spoke Gandalf shared some sort of private understanding with Frodo. Gandalf then looked to the western horizon.

"Master Banner is right though it has been a long day for all of us." Gandalf commented. "It will be dusk in a couple of hours. I suggest we travel a bit further before setting camp for the night".

Agreeing to Gandalf's suggestion, the Fellowship completed their day's travel in silence.


	6. The Council of the Fellowship

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

11/12/2012

Thanks everyone for their kind reviews (my first of any kind) and your words of encouragement so far.

**Lupin 2020:** Again apologies for my creative inability with the rest of the Avengers. You are right about my priorities. In my mind the key factor to making the story work shall be keeping the characters true to their popular portrayal and making their interactions believable.

**Lupin and Tonks Forever:** My aim is to update the story on a regular basis. Hopefully I might be able to add a few chapters over the Christmas break.

* * *

**Chapter 6 – The Council of the Fellowship**

At sunset the Fellowship had gathered around a campfire they had set up for the evening. Sam was putting some chopped vegetables into a small pot full of boiling water in preparation for the Fellowship's evening meal. The Avengers assumed that Sam was the Fellowship's cook on top of his other duty of handling Bill.

Aragorn and Legolas had just come back from their hunting expedition with both of them holding a pair of wild fowls. As they had been trained in tracking and living off the land, albeit in different ways, both Rogers and Thor had offered to go on the expedition as well.

"No thank you both." Aragorn politely informed them. "Get some rest and for tonight please consider yourselves our guests".

While everyone else was sitting on the ground, Gandalf had perched himself on a small rock and had taken off his pointed hat. To his left was Merry and Thor sat on his right

"By your leave Gandalf," Thor began speaking to him "are you able to advise me of our current destination? It may help me determine if my friends and I are getting closer to our own realms".

"You're asking is no trouble at all Thor" replied Gandalf. "We are currently trying to pass under the Misty Mountains which you can see behind me. Our path leads us through the Mines of Moria that used to be the great Dwarf realm called Khazad-dum. Frankly I very much wish that we had not been forced to continue our journey through there".

"Odinson do not listen to the exaggerated concern of the Wizard and the others" Gimli, who was sitting to Thor's right, chimed in. "It is true that the last King of Khazad-dum and his people were driven out a millennium ago by some foul evil. But thirty years ago my cousin Balin led an expedition of dwarves to reclaim it and the riches it holds. When we get there by tomorrow's end all the worries of my nervous friends shall be put to rest as we enjoy a feast worthy of a Prince of Asgard".

Thor was about to tell Gimli that his Asgardian metabolism meant a 'normal' meal for him was what others would consider to be in size a lavish feast for many. Gandalf interrupted him before he could so.

"I very much hope you are right Gimli" Gandalf softly remarked as he stared into the campfire.

* * *

While Gandalf, Thor and Gimli were conversing among themselves Banner observed Aragorn and Legolas had begun plucking their kills just outside the Fellowship's sitting circle.

"Just wait until you taste some of Sam's chicken and vegetable soup Bruce" Banner was enthusiastically told by Pippin who sat between him and Merry. "Even though you three have joined us I hope there will be some for seconds".

Banner did not tell Pippin that he was a vegetarian. He did not want to seem ungrateful for the trouble the others had gone through to get the meal ready. He resolved to eat the evening meal though he would have a quiet word about his dietary habits with Sam later. Earlier, Banner was surprised that Pippin sat down next to him without any hesitation. After his earlier outburst he thought the four hobbits would (justifiably) keep their distance from him. If these four were representative, Banner concluded that Hobbits were a very forgiving race.

The other thing that Banner noticed was that a number of their new friends were smoking on long-stemmed pipes as they waited for dinner. _Not much chance of a Quit Smoking campaign in Middle-earth_ Banner mused. He wondered if Pippin would understand the dangers of lung cancer and emphysema linked to smoking if he spoke to him about them. It was then he caught a whiff of what Pippin was smoking. It did not have the acrid smell of cigarettes, no it smelt more….floral than anything. He wished he could take a sample of the tobacco these people used to analyse its properties. If only to see if it was a different species to the same plant found on Earth. Banner looked at Frodo who was not smoking but was resting his arms on his thighs while he spoke to Sam about something. He spied that Frodo had gold chain around his neck that peaked out from under his shirt.

_What lies on the Hobbit's chain can send you & your friends home Bruce Banner. As well as freeing you of your curse._

Banner felt a shiver run up his spine as the evil inner voice he heard earlier that day spoke to him again. Fortunately the Hulk did not seem as angered as last time this happened, but Banner could not take his eyes off Frodo. He snapped out of his stare when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder from the person sitting to his left.

"Bruce what's wrong with you?" Rogers, the hand's owner, demanded quietly but firmly.

"I know this will sound strange but when I snapped earlier it was after I heard a strange voice in my head" Banner whispered in reply, best thinking to tell Captain America the truth. "I just heard it again. Both times it told me more or less to hurt Frodo. Before you say so I know it's definitely not coming from the Other Guy. In fact he got angry the first time because he thought the voice was coming from Frodo and just now I thought it did too".

Unbeknown to both Rogers and Banner, Pippin had been listening in on their exchange. He remembered what had been said at the Council of Elrond when he, Merry and Sam were spying on it. Perhaps the voice Bruce was hearing was coming from what Frodo was carrying.

Wanting to help Bruce, Pippin unintentionally forgot Aragorn's warning as he said quietly to Banner "The voice you hear Bruce could be the Ring. I don't understand exactly how but apparently it can say things that drive people mad".

Rogers and Banner were both confused by Pippin's reply. In his normal voice Banner asked Pippin "Ring? What ring"?

As soon as they heard Banner's question, the original members of the Fellowship ceased all conversation and stared first at him and then Pippin. Some looked at Pippin stunned and others in exasperation. Gandalf shot up from where he was sitting.

"Confound your loose tongue Peregrin Took!" Gandalf scolded Pippin. "When we all agreed to keep the Ring secret from our new friends I knew I should have cast a spell on you to make you a mute"!

"I'm sorry Gandalf I just forgot." Pippin replied cringing before Gandalf's displeasure.

"Look Gandalf, it's my fault as I was the one who asked him the question" Banner leapt to Pippin's defence feeling guilty that he had gotten him into trouble. "But I still have no idea what 'Ring' Pippin's talking about".

"I too do not know of what Master Pippin speaks" Thor agreed. "But my friends and I are now travelling with your Fellowship. I appreciate what you said to me earlier today Gandalf. About not being able to discuss your quest's purpose. But if it contains something that could be a danger to the three of us, it is only fair you speak of what it is".

"When we decided not to tell you about the Ring we meant no offence to any of you" Aragorn moved to assure the Avengers. "Please understand that because finding us is the Enemy's primary objective we must be careful to whom we trust".

"I think we all understand and respect that." Rogers calmly responded. "But you might be stuck with the three of us for a while yet. If you let us know what you are up to we might even be in a position to help you".

"Besides," Banner added "I think my outburst earlier today showed that this 'Ring' could be affecting me at least. If it is I need to know why. Trust me I can get a lot angrier and you don't want to be at the receiving end of it when I do".

Frodo inwardly shuddered at the implications of Banner's remark. Both he and Aragorn nodded their assent to the silent question Gandalf asked them both with a look. After releasing a sigh Gandalf spoke.

"Very well then we shall tell you about the Ring and our purpose around it. But I suggest we discuss these things _after_ dinner. If we tell you now of the danger the Ring presents you might lose your appetites". Gandalf then gave a sidewards glance to Pippin before saying to him with mild sarcasm "And none of us would want Master Samwise's cooking to go to waste would we Pippin"?

* * *

Dinner was a fairly muted affair largely because of the nervous anticipation building up in the Fellowship to their promised explanation of the One Ring to their new companions. After they had finished Sam's soup (given his appetite Merry and Pippin found a new rival in Thor for leftovers) the Fellowship either smoked their pipes or drank tea as Gandalf indicated he was ready to begin the tale. Looking each at Thor, Banner and Rogers Gandalf drew deep on his pipe and exhaled a long stream of pipeweed smoke as he commenced.

"Three thousand years ago in the Second Age of Middle-earth the great Rings of Power were forged. Three were given to the immortal Elves – wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven were presented to the Dwarf Lords – great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine were given to great kings of the Race of Men. These rings contained the strength and will for their wearers to rule each of their people. But what they did not know is that all their rings and their powers were controlled by a master ring, the One Ring".

Gandalf then turned his gaze into the camp fire as he recited one of Middle-earth's most famous and fearful verses:

"_One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them_".

"I'm sorry Gandalf," Rogers interrupted politely "but I'm not quite following you".

Gandalf turned to Frodo and said to him simply "Show them Frodo".

After a moment's hesitation Frodo pulled out the chain he wore from under his shirt. The Avengers noted a gold ring resembling a wedding band hanged from it that Frodo cushioned in his hand.

Thor had little trouble following Gandalf's story of these 'Rings of Power'. Asgard had securely stored in its vaults many strange, powerful and dangerous relics. But no relic in Asgard's possession had the impact on him that the ring in Frodo's hand appeared to. The longer he looked at the ring the more he felt rising emotions of unease, fear and desire. The other eleven members of the sitting circle shared the same emotions to varying degrees.

As he looked at it Banner felt the evil aura that surrounded the ring was similar to the evil laced within the disembodied voices he had heard earlier. If he could, he would be willing to bet all of Tony Stark's seemingly limitless fortune that this ring was the voices' source. His rational side screamed at him that it was impossible for a piece of jewellery to be sentient and consciously able to manipulate his thoughts. But he could not deny what he or the Other Guy felt at the moment – even the indestructible Hulk seemed to feel unnerved in the ring's presence.

Rogers looked at Boromir to his left and saw him swallowing a nervous lump as he went pale in colour. He was quietly surprised to see a seemingly noble man such as Boromir looking at Frodo's ring with a mixture of repulsion and coveting.

Noticing the rising tension within the Fellowship Gandalf said to Frodo "Thank you but you can put it away again Frodo".

Frodo ignored Gandalf, as all his focus seemed to be consumed in looking at the ring he held in his hand. The seconds began to drag by.

"That's enough" Boromir audibly whispered. Dismayed that Frodo ignored him too, Boromir began raising his voice "I said tha-"

"Frodo"! Gandalf's firmer repetition of his name snapped Frodo out of his trance. He quickly tucked the chain and ring under his shirt again. Several members of the Fellowship let out an audible sigh of relief when he did so.

Gandalf then looked at each of the Avengers before continuing his monologue.

"Frodo has in his possession the One Ring. It was forged in the land of Mordor by its Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Into the One Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. **One Ring to rule them all**.

"With the power of the One Ring, Sauron launched his conquest of the lands of Middle-earth. He was resisted by the Last Alliance of Men and Elves who managed to drive his forces right back into the heart of Mordor. Their final battle and that of the Second Age was fought by the very slopes of Mount Doom.

"Sauron himself fought in this battle and the Last Alliance stood powerless before him and the One Ring. However when all hope had faded Isildur, the King of Gondor, cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. With the loss of the Ring Sauron was defeated but he was not destroyed. Seduced by its power, Isildur kept the Ring and in doing so Sauron's spirit escaped and allowed the Dark Lord to slowly recuperate his strength".

As Gandalf told this part of the tale Rogers noticed that Aragorn focused on the ground looking ashamed for some reason.

"Why exactly was it wrong for Isildur to keep the Ring?" asked Banner. "From what I understand you have said the Ring appears to be a very powerful weapon." In a thinly veiled reference to SHIELD's program to develop weapons from the Tesseract, Banner expanded "Where Steve and I come from if their enemies have superior weapons, governments sometimes try to spy or steal them to help them better defend their country."

Rogers heard a quiet snort from Boromir indicating his agreement with Banner's observation.

"You remember how you felt when you heard the Ring speak to you and when you saw it Bruce?" Gandalf questioned him slowly in reply. As he remembered these two things Banner began to shift uncomfortably where he was sitting.

"As Mithrandir, Gandalf said" Legolas intervened "Sauron poured his very life force into the Ring. It can be used for nought but evil".

Aragorn further clarified "If someone besides Sauron attempts to use the Ring, at best they would be completely consumed by their obsession with it, driven into the depths of utter madness. At worst, they would rise to be a dark lord equal in evil and power to Sauron".

Legolas agreed with a nod "Sauron and the Ring are one".

"I acknowledge the importance of information you have shared with us" Thor said before turning to Gandalf. "But Gandalf the events you have described you said took place three millennia ago. How did Frodo end with the Ring in his possession"?

"Legolas is right". Gandalf replied "Because the Ring contains Sauron's life-force it possesses a will of its own. It is a will Thor that you and your friends just experienced a taste of". Gandalf returned the group's discussion to the Ring's history.

"The Ring betrayed Isildur to his death and it fell into the depths of the River Anduin settling on its floor for two and a half thousand years. Except for a handful of individuals all knowledge of the Ring passed from Middle-earth's memory. Then, five hundred years ago the Ring was found by the creature Gollum.

"Gollum took the Ring into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. The Ring poisoned Gollum into the type of madness Aragorn described earlier. When the Ring sensed its master's power growing it abandoned Gollum in an effort to get back to Sauron's hand. But it had not planned to be picked up by a hobbit whose name was Bilbo Baggins".

Noticing the Avengers staring at Frodo at the mention of the name 'Baggins' Gandalf nodded and confirmed the connection they were trying to make between him and Bilbo.

"Yes their sharing of the same surname is no coincidence. Bilbo is Frodo's uncle. For three score years Bilbo kept the Ring in his possession and it delayed old age in him. Some months ago, after a great deal of persuasion, Bilbo relinquished the Ring to Frodo who has had it in his keeping ever since.

"Sauron's fortress in Mordor has been rebuilt and his forces have been greatly replenished. Sauron now only needs the One Ring to bring all Middle-earth to his will. With the Ring his victory shall be so total and his power so absolute that his reign of darkness over Middle-earth shall last until the ending of the world".

* * *

Rogers tried to reel in all the information that Gandalf and the others had provided. He compared the discussion to the old saying of trying to drink water coming out of a fire hose. But part of the Fellowship's story did not make strategic sense to him.

"So I get this correctly - the Ring is all powerful and it's too dangerous for you to use. And if Sauron he gets it back he will be Middle-earth's eternal dictator". Seeing the nods he was getting confirming his understanding Rogers then continued "If what Legolas said earlier is correct why don't you just destroy it and rid yourselves of Sauron in one quick move?! Why does Frodo have to carry it?"

"Destroying the Ring is no simple task Captain" Legolas advised.

"At the risk of astonishing everyone else of what I am about to say," Gimli added as his first contribution to the discussion "but the Elf is right in this regard. At the Rivendell Council I learned the hard way that destroying the Ring is not easy."

"The Ring was forged in the heart of Mount Doom, only there can it be unmade" Aragorn explained trying to use verbatim his foster father's words at the Council. "The Ring must be carried deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. As the Ring-bearer, Frodo has volunteered to undertake this quest. The rest of us as representatives of the Free Peoples have resolved to guide and protect him as he completes his task."

"The three of us have seen with our own eyes your skills as warriors" Thor began to preface a question he wanted ask. "But your Fellowship's numbers appear very inadequate weighed against the purpose of the quest you are all undertaking. Why not raise an army to better protect the Ring and clear a path into Mordor towards Mount Doom"?

A veteran of Gondor's long struggle against Mordor, Boromir answered on the Fellowship's behalf.

"Even if all the forces of the Free Peoples fought as one army under one banner, in open battle Sauron's forces would overwhelm us with numbers alone. Mordor's borders are long, impenetrable mountain ranges with the exception of its furthest border to the East. But even that border is covered by nations of Men who have chosen to ally themselves to Sauron.

"The only two approaches into Mordor from Gondor are two narrow passes that are heavily fortified and guarded by orcs, trolls and potentially even greater evils. With his Great Eye, Sauron is ever watchful for any would be trespassers into his lands."

"Aside from the reasons Lord Boromir has stated there is another reason for our small numbers" Gandalf added. "An army would certainly attract the attention of nine of Sauron's most powerful servants that he has charged above all else to find the Ring-bearer."

"Who are they?" Rogers asked.

"The nine kings of Men that each received a Ring of Power became corrupted by them as Sauron planned." Aragorn explained. "One by one they fell into darkness taking on an existence that was neither living or dead. When close enough they can sense the presence of the Ring. They are called the Nazgul or more commonly as the Ring-wraiths."

"Damn right nasty buggers those Black Riders!" Sam interrupted. By the ways the others were looking at him Sam sought to clarify his remarks.

"Sorry Misters Thor, Banner and Rogers for my strong language." Sam apologised not realising that his adjectives would barely raise an eyebrow in Rogers' or Banner's world. "But after the way they hurt Frodo at Weathertop any hurt _they_ suffer is too good for them."

"As they were washed away at the Bruinen Ford perhaps they won't be bothering any of us for a long time." Merry tried to say with a hope he did not really feel.

Thor wanted to know more about 'Weathertop' and Frodo's injury but held back as they did not seem to be relevant to his original question about the Fellowship's size.

"I now understand in small numbers you are better placed to keep the Ring hidden from the Dark Lord's attention." Thor conceded. Then he remembered the other force that Gandalf earlier told him the Fellowship was attempting to hide from also. "So where does the one called Saruman fit into all what you have told us?"

"In order to challenge Sauron for dominion of Middle-earth, Saruman shall need the power of the One Ring" Gandalf advised. "We are currently coming very close to Saruman's lands and he will not be idle in his efforts to secure the Ring before Sauron can."

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" Banner asked the group.

"I hope not." Pippin commented. "Ever since Merry and I bumped into Frodo and Sam I have had too many surprises of the bad kind to my liking".

Seeing that Rogers, Banner and Thor had run out of questions at least for now Gandalf summarised what they and the Fellowship had just spoken of.

"So now you know the task our Fellowship is embarked on. By accompanying us the three of you shall face the greatest dangers that can be faced by the Free Peoples in these dark times. We can give you no promise that by travelling with us you shall find a way back to your homes. If you wish to leave us because of these risks the nine of us shall understand. Our only request is that you do not divulge our location to anyone else even those claiming to be our friends."

The Fellowship's members looked intently at their three new companions as to how they would answer.

* * *

After a few moments of consideration, the Avengers answered individually. Banner spoke first.

"I think we learned earlier today that we could face danger anywhere in Middle-earth. We shouldn't count on being rescued all the time when we do. Even if there wasn't danger there is no guarantee that we will find our way back home quicker than with staying with you guys." Banner shrugged his shoulders "So I guess my vote is continue to go with you."

"My Father once made me swear an oath to protect each of the Nine Realms." Thor recounted to the Fellowship. "Although the realms he spoke of did not include Middle-earth he taught me that the spirit of an oath is more important than its wording. You have my word as Crown Prince of Asgard that I shall aid you in your task in whatever manner I can."

Finally it was Roger's turn to speak.

"Earlier today all you were willing to risk your lives and your mission's secrecy to help us even though you knew nothing about us." Rogers looked at his fellow Avengers before continuing. "My government had an Initiative that created a team – a 'Fellowship' you could say - of extraordinary individuals to fight the battles that Earth's people couldn't. Thor, Bruce, three others and myself are the members of that team that has come to be called 'The Avengers'. In the Battle for Middle-earth, The Avengers chose to fight alongside all who oppose Sauron."

The original Fellowship members smiled as they felt their spirits rising at the words of the three Avengers. Finally Frodo broke his long silence a few simple words of his own.

"When we first met I was unsure how much we could trust you despite you apparent honour. Thank you for rewarding our faith in allowing you to accompany us."

The Avengers acknowledged Frodo's compliment with smiles of their own.

"Avengers indeed!" Gandalf warmly concluded. "The Free Peoples would be comforted to know that against the growing darkness both our fellowships shall be standing as one."

Uplifted but exhausted by their discussions with the three Avengers the original Fellowship members enjoyed the best sleep they had since they had set out from Rivendell.

* * *

**Sorry for the great amount of dialogue but I thought that being the honourable sorts the Fellowship would reveal the whole truth to The Avengers despite being forced to by Pippin's _faux pas_. Action shall begin to pick up soon as the new, united Fellowship reaches Moria in the next chapter.**


	7. Secrets, Surprises & Shocks

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

14/12/2012

Wow! I posted this developing story just under a week ago and already it has had over 1,300 hits by 300+ visitors. Thanks to all of you!

**Lupin 2020**: LOL about what you said about Iron Man in Moria. I think Stark's attitude would annoy poor old Gandalf more than any mischief Merry & Pippin could get up to.

**Basia Orci** and **Lizzie**: Thank you for your kind words.

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Secrets, Surprises and Shocks**

The Fellowship woke at sunrise and began their journey towards the Mines of Moria at a brisk pace. Despite the confidence Gimli expressed last evening Gandalf was keen for the Fellowship to arrive at Moria before day's end. Although the Fellowship was now bolstered in number he did not want to run the risk of another encounter with orcs like yesterday. The Fellowship's whole enterprise could be doomed if even one orc reported the group's location to their masters.

In the spirit of yesterday's conversations the three new members of the Fellowship talked about themselves to the older ones as they continued on their journey. Legolas was taken aback when Thor revealed he was nearly half his age of 2,931 years. Even at its height the Race of Numenor did not have lifespans anywhere near what the Men of Asgard seem to possess. He was the first of the original Fellowship who began to speculate that Thor and his people may not be 'Men' as such.

Rogers walked with the hobbits. As the hobbits explained on why they walked in bare feet Rogers picked up snippets of the conversation between Banner and Aragorn who were both walking just in front of him. He was surprised that their discussion revolved around horses of all things. He knew Banner was an expert in many fields but as far as he knew that did not include matters equine.

"I'm sorry Bruce" he interrupted Banner and Aragorn. "How did you get to know so much about horses"?

"Oh well when I was on the run aside from being their doctor people sometimes asked me to also be their vet" Banner recalled.

"You pardon Bruce but what do you mean by 'Vet'?" Aragorn asked. If he had heard someone say 'vet' before he first heard it from Banner, Aragorn would have assumed it was an abbreviation of the word 'veteran'.

"In our world 'Vet' can refer to 'Veterinarian' which is someone that treats and heals sick animals" Banner advised him.

"That sounds like a fine line of work Mister Bruce" Sam enthused.

"If I could be a vet I would even consider doing a hard day's work!" Pippin added.

After sharing a short laugh with the hobbits, Aragorn and Rogers at Pippin's remark Banner continued his explanation to Rogers.

"In some countries the only form of transportation people have on hand are horses. I wouldn't bet on me if I was racing in the Kentucky Derby but I know how to ride a horse well enough to at least get from A to B".

"I would like to know of this 'Kentucky Derby' you speak of Bruce" Aragorn said. "But I am more curious as to why two lands in your world would respectively name themselves with just the first two letters of the alphabet"?

* * *

The Fellowship reached their destination just before sunset. Gimli pointed to the sheer cliff face in front of them and gasped "The Walls of Moria"! Rogers saw a structure protruding out of the cliff face that reminded him of the ruined Roman aqueducts he saw during his service in Italy.

Gandalf and Gimli led the rest of the Fellowship south along a narrow loose path that separated Moria's 'Walls' with a large free standing body of dark water to their right. The path was so narrow in parts that one time Frodo's feet slipped into the water as a result of a slight stumble.

"Gandalf I have full confidence you know where you're going" Rogers stated "but I can't see a way for us to pass through this cliff".

"Well you see good Captain" Gimli answered "dwarf doors are invisible when closed". He tapped the cliff wall with his axe to demonstrate his pride in his people's craftsmanship.

"Yes Gimli" agreed Gandalf. "Even their own masters cannot find them when they are forgotten".

'Why does this not surprise me" Legolas wryly commented drawing a grumble from Gimli.

It was early evening by the time Gandalf bought the Fellowship to a halt. They had stopped at a smooth section of wall that was flanked by two bare trees. Gandalf began to slowly brush at this part of wall with his hand while murmuring to himself. Banner heard part of what he was saying "…mirrors only starlight and moonlight".

As if on cue the Moon revealed itself from behind the evening clouds which resulted in the vast majority of the Fellowship awed by what its light revealed. In front of the Fellowship on the wall facing them was the white, shining outline of an archway. The archway was about Thor's height and wide enough for two men to pass through at the same time. The archway's design included two columns and a crown and strange markings that ran along its curved peak.

Banner thought it was safe to assume that Middle-earth had no electricity but now he was not so sure. From his encyclopaedic knowledge of the periodic table, no element on earth possessed the property to start glowing like this archway just by moonlight. He was about to ask about it but Thor beat him with a question of his own.

"These runes are the first writings of Middle-earth my friends and I have seen" Thor commented pointing to the archway. "What do they tell"?

"The writings you refer to Odinson are a form of Elvish" Gandalf instructed in reply. He followed the Elvish writing with his staff as he translated them for the rest of the Fellowship. "It reads 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, Speak Friend and Enter'".

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"Oh it's quite simple" Gandalf told him. "If you are a friend you speak the password and the doors will open".

The Wizard spoke two separate passwords in a language that neither of the Avengers had heard before. _Given what he said about the door's writing he must be speaking in Elvish as well_ Rogers thought. Whatever language he was speaking the Doors of Durin were not responding to Gandalf's words by opening.

Pippin stated the obvious "Nothing's happening".

Thor was surprised that Gandalf had not asked the Fellowship member who, to his mind, was most likely to know the door's password. Turning to Gimli, Thor asked him "Gimli do you know the password used by your kin here"?

"Err no" Gimli replied sounding somewhat embarrassed. "Even at its height Khazad-dum's password was not exactly common knowledge even among dwarves".

Legolas added "Prince Thor it is unfair for us immortals to believe that all members of the younger races have memories similar to our own".

Outwardly Gimli gave the Elf a glare in response to his none too subtle insult. However, inwardly, he knew the smile that Legolas gave him showed the Elven Prince meant no malice in the remark. Indeed, the Elf's smile seemed to imply he had evened the score of insults between them. Instead of insults perhaps he and Legolas could compete for their honour of their respective races through battle by the count of their kills…

Oblivious to all this by play, Gandalf was leaning his shoulder against the Doors as if they required a push in addition to a password to open them. "I was once knew every spell in the tongues of men, elves and orcs" he said mostly to himself.

"What are you going to do then"? Pippin asked with slight condescension.

"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took!" Gandalf replied in exasperation "If that does not shatter them and I'm allowed a little peace from foolish questions I will try to find the opening words".

"I cannot speak to the strength of Master Pippin's skull," Thor commented with a twinkle in his eye before becoming more serious "but perhaps we can shatter them Mjolnir. After a few strikes I am sure - ".

"Drop the idea Thor" Rogers interrupted him. "I am pretty sure in Middle-earth, like everywhere else, a home owner would consider visitors breaking down his front door to be an unfriendly act".

Despite his current frustration, Gandalf found himself joining the rest of the Fellowship in quietly laughing at Roger's remark.

* * *

As neither of them had a wristwatch none of the Avengers could tell exactly what time had progressed since the Doors of Durin revealed themselves. They had joined other members of the Fellowship in sitting on the path that was also the 'shore' for the dark pool of water they faced. Gandalf continued to try to find the Door's password murmuring a combination of phrases in Elvish trying to find it.

Aragorn was focused on distributing what supplies Bill carried among the luggage carried on the Fellowship's person. Much to Sam's sadness Bill would not be accompanying the Fellowship on its journey into Moria. Aragorn recalled his first and only previous visit to the place. The way Moria had been designed would not be easy for the Fellowship's beloved pack pony to traverse. With its new members at least the Fellowship could carry Bill's burden more easily.

Sitting next to each other Rogers and Thor absently watched Aragorn going about his task while they discussed means of contacting Earth and Asgard. When they first arrived in Middle-earth, the Avengers main concerns about communications were in finding a way back home. But since they had promised to assist the Fellowship in their quest things had gotten a lot more complicated. Given their promise, if the vortex opened up again would the Avengers be wrong to go through it even though the vortex might not ever open again? If they could keep it open should they ask their fellow Avengers left behind to come and help? Despite the objections he suspected Director Fury would raise Rogers had no doubt that Barton, Romanoff and even Stark would volunteer to do so given the sort of people they were.

As Rogers saw Aragorn bend towards a pack in front of him he noticed the Ranger was wore a chain around his neck. It was a silver chain on which hanged a triangular pendant that was largely white in colour. It was an exquisite design of sparkling crystals arranged like a flower or star that was set in finely engraved silver. Unlike the Ring it did not seem to project any sort of 'presence' let alone an evil one. But its beauty made the pendant possess a magic of its own.

"That's a very nice pendant you're wearing Aragorn" Rogers complimented him pointing to it.

There was a slight sense of embarrassment in Aragorn's explanation "It was a gift from someone before our company set out from Rivendell".

"Steve is correct" Thor added after his own attention was drawn to the pendant. "It is a piece of jewellery worthy to be worn by any king".

Both Thor and Rogers noticed Aragorn visibly flinched at the word 'king'. They were both puzzled as to why Aragorn would react to Thor's compliment that way. After an awkward pause Aragorn moved their discussions along a different tangent.

"Well I have divided Bill's load among the twelve of us as best I could" Aragorn advised satisfied with his efforts. Before walking over to where Sam and Bill were he said to Thor and Rogers "Stay here. I shall go and help Sam release Bill".

"Do not think your remarks have offended him" Thor and Rogers looked up to see that they had not noticed that Legolas had moved to stand behind them. "The jewel Aragorn wears is a gift from his betrothed. Aside from being a token of her love it is also symbolic of her pledge to forsake the immortal life of her people to bind herself to him. It is a great sorrow to the Elves that one of their fairest maidens ever to grace Middle-earth with her presence will not be accompanying them on their last journey to the Undying Lands".

"Look Legolas I don't understand much of what you've just said" Rogers replied. "As far as I am concerned Aragorn's relationship with his fiancé is none of my business". Rogers was quite the introvert even after becoming Captain America. One of the things that appalled him the most in the America he now resided was the ever exploding volume and consumption of media coverage of celebrities' private lives. Worse some celebrities and a lot of 'normal' people seemed to have no shame in using all types of new media to show all sorts of (to his mind) questionable behaviour just to gain attention. "Having said that" Rogers returned his attention to Legolas "what does his engagement have to do with what Thor said to him"?

Both Rogers and Thor followed Legolas' gaze to Aragorn who was helping Sam remove Bill's tack as he began to explain the connection.

"Aragorn's father was killed by orcs when he was but a small child. His mother wanted him to be raised in safety so she took him to the elven refuge of Rivendell. Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell was a friend of Aragorn's father and he raised Aragorn as if he was his own son.

"When he entered manhood Aragorn first met Elrond's daughter, Arwen Evenstar. Despite being of different races they fell in love and pledged themselves to each other. It was not the first time in Middle-earth's history that this had happened between a Man and an Elf Maiden. But their relationship is doomed to follow previous ones of their like.

"More and more of my people are leaving the shores of Middle-earth and sail to the Undying Lands to continue their immortal lives unbound by weariness. As Elves are the only race of the Free Peoples allowed passage to the Undying Lands, Arwen would never be able to take Aragorn with her should she choose to go with her kin there. But by staying with him in Middle-earth she will become mortal and would never be able to rejoin her people even if Aragorn dies before her".

"It is a sad tale you speak of Prince of Mirkwood" Thor said genuinely moved. "But like Rogers I am still unsure how it is related to my earlier remark".

"Elrond has told Aragorn that he shall never accept his daughter giving up her immortality and will never give her in marriage to him unless he proves himself worthy by claiming his inheritance". Seeing that Rogers and Thor were now looking at him Legolas firmly returned their gazes "Aragorn is descended from the line of Isildur. He is the current and sole heir to the throne of Gondor".

At Legolas' revelation, both Rogers and Thor snapped their heads in Aragorn's direction while trying to stop their jaws from dropping in astonishment. To Rogers a lot of what he had seen about Aragorn that puzzled him now made sense! For one the way he looked ashamed last night during the telling of Gandalf's tale. _Even though it happened 3,000 years ago he somehow thinks as his descendent, Isildur's failure to destroy Sauron is a failure of his as well._ Then there was way Rogers saw Boromir look Aragorn on the march yesterday. If their ancestors had been in charge for the last 1,000 years Boromir and his family would not be human if they considered themselves 'caretaker' rulers of Gondor. Especially after what Boromir told him that he and his family had bled and sacrificed in Gondor's defence.

Although Rogers cared little for political intrigue he knew enough about human behaviour to now make sense of Aragorn's reaction to the word 'king'. It appeared that he seemed uneasy with and reluctant to claim his birth-right for whatever reason. Even if he wasn't reluctant he doubted that Boromir's father would be happy just to hand his rule over to Aragorn with no questions asked.

As he watched Aragorn gently push Bill in the direction of safer lands Rogers contemplated that the Ring was not the only potential cause of conflict within the Fellowship.

* * *

Ignorant to the important revelations received by his fellow Avengers, Banner sat with Frodo on a rock. Both of them watched Gandalf's rising frustration as he failed in every of his attempts to open the Doors of Durin. Frodo and Banner quietly spoke to each other about their theories on what the Door's password might be.

Despite not being able to read 'Elvish' Banner assumed the same principles that applied to code breaking in his world had to apply here as well. For governments and corporations on Earth 'passwords' were normally sophisticated encryption codes that were created by even more complex series of algorithms. But the inscription that Gandalf had translated for them did not appear to be a numerical sequence. This would rule out using a mathematical solution to finding the password. Banner agreed with Gandalf's judgment that the way to open these doors was through a word or phrase. For a moment he remembered the story of the Forty Thieves and their Magic Cave.

After the Door's resisted another of his attempts to open them Gandalf gave a sigh and dropped his hat and staff to the ground as a sign of surrender. "Oh it's useless" he grumbled as he sat next to Frodo and Banner. "The only other way I can think of to get the password is to overhear someone else speak it".

_Wait_ Banner thought _what if we don't have to be like Ali Baba and wait to overhear someone speak the password if we don't know it ourselves?_ Obviously by having a password the Doors were built to keep out enemies. But to Banner, the inscription also implied that Moria's dwarves also assumed they could have guests arrive unannounced after the Doors were built. The dwarves who lived here would have to have left a means to reveal the password but a means that only their allies would think of.

"What if the password is somehow implied in the inscription itself?" he speculated to both Gandalf and Frodo.

Banner saw a flash of inspiration in Frodo's eyes as he stood up. "It's a riddle" Frodo quietly stated. "'Speak friend…and enter'. What's the elvish word for 'friend'"?

"_Mellon_" Gandalf replied in the direction of the Doors.

At this word, being made of stone the Doors of Durin gave heavy grinding sound as they opened and pushed outwards towards where the three of them sat.

* * *

While Frodo, Gandalf and Banner were going about to solve the mystery of the password Merry and Pippin had decided to break their monotony by throwing stones at the pool of water in front of them. Pippin held his arm back to throw a stone as long as he could but was stopped when Aragorn firmly gripped his wrist.

"Do not disturb the water" Aragorn quietly advised him and Merry.

As soon as Aragorn had spoken these words he noticed ripples on the surface of the pool indicating movement just beneath it. The ripples had caught the attentions of Pippin, Merry, Boromir, Rogers, Legolas and Thor as well. The ripples appeared to be moving closer to where they stood.

The seven of them were momentarily distracted when they heard the sound of the Doors of Durin opening. At this they quickly grabbed their bags and gear that laid on the ground but continued to give wary glances to the ripples as they passed through the Doors.

As they passed the doors the Fellowship's footsteps echoed as they entered what appeared to a cavern. Its darkness was dimly pierced by the moonlight streaming through the open doors behind them. Because of the darkness the Avenger's attention was grabbed not by what they saw but what they smelt. A musty stench appeared to pervade the cavern. Banner came to an immediate halt at the stench – he knew what decaying bones smelled like.

"Do any of you have anything we can see by?" he asked the rest of the Fellowship wanting to see the source of the smell but hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Not to worry Bruce" Gandalf calmly assured him as he moved to attach a small crystal to the top of his staff. "We will have light very shortly".

Gimli seemed oblivious to the smell or the concern etched in Banner's voice.

"Soon my friends you shall enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves" Gimli confidently enthused. "Roaring fires! Malt Beer! Red meat off the bone!"

Gandalf gently blew on the crystal that he had attached to his staff. In response the crystal illuminated and spread a limited but steady light for the Fellowship to see by.

"This is the home of my cousin Balin and they call it a mine" Gimli guffawed at the description other races called Balin's home. "A Mine"!

Thor was about to comment that had enjoyed similar hospitality with the Dwarves of Nidavellir in their underground halls but was stopped by what the light from Gandalf's staff revealed.

The Fellowship had entered a passage shaped threshold that had been carved out of the cave rock. About 30 feet in front of them in between two pillars was a flight of wide steps leading up. However the threshold was full of humanoid skeletons wearing metal armour covered by cobwebs. Random bones and skulls as well as broken and disused weapons were scattered over the threshold floor. Rogers had no doubt these remains were the result of a struggle that had taken place a while ago.

"This is no mine" Boromir whispered fearfully. "It's a tomb"!

The four hobbits had been standing just in from the open doors startled when they saw a skeleton lying close to their feet.

"No!" Gimli gasped in shock disbelief as to the apparent answer why he hadn't heard from his cousin in 30 years. He ran to examine the armoured skeleton of one his kin. Gimli's disbelief turned to rage when recognising the patterns on its helm this was the skeleton of a friend of his family. "NO!" he howled.

Having his guess about the stench being proven right Banner looked closer at one of the skulls in front of him. From the skeleton that Gimli had reacted to, Banner assumed that dwarf skulls were similar to human ones. But the skull to his front reminded him of the infamous 'Starchild' skull and there appeared to be more skulls like it than dwarf ones.

Legolas examined the hooked point of an arrow that had been lodged in the ribs of one of the dwarf skeletons. His response answered the question Banner was asking himself about what creature possessed such a deformed skull.

"Goblins" Legolas hissed to the rest of the Fellowship.

Seeing that Legolas had drawn his bow and that both Aragorn and Boromir had drawn their swords Rogers concluded that 'goblins' in Middle-earth were not like the mischievous pranksters they were often portrayed as in Earth cultures.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan" Boromir firmly concluded to the rest of the Fellowship as a result of the sight before them. "We should have never have come here".

None of the Avengers knew what the 'Gap of Rohan' was. But anywhere had to be better than these dark caves covered with the sight and stench of death well as the strong possibility they were occupied by hostile creatures. Boromir showed he agreed with these thoughts as he said in a raised voice "Now get out of here! Get out"!

The shock of the discovery before them caused seven members of the Fellowship to forget about their worry at the sight of ripples they saw on the surface of the water just outside. They were right to have been worried. A large (some would say evil) predator resided under the water for many years. No-one remembered its true name but those who remembered it simply called it the 'Watcher in the Water'. The Watcher attacked and fed on any creature it sensed travelling on the narrow path that ran along its home. The Fellowship were to about to be the latest victims of its attack.

After Boromir had shouted his suggestion, the four hobbits began to back up towards the open doorway but they sensed something cold and wet tapping their ankles from behind them. What they felt was some the Watcher's tentacles probing for its prey. The Watcher wrapped one of its tentacles around Frodo's right ankle and quickly dragged him towards the water.

The rest of the Fellowship was alerted to the Watcher's presence when they heard Sam shout "Strider!" to assist in the rescue of his friend. The four hobbits were now outside the doorway with Merry and Pippin trying to pull the Watcher's tentacle off Frodo's ankle. Sam had greater success when using his short sword he inflicted a couple of crude cuts on the tentacle that forced the Watcher to release its grip. Merry and Pippin dragged Frodo to his feet but their victory was short lived as the Watcher surged its greater mass through the water surface. It flicked half a dozen of its near 30 foot tentacles in the hobbits' direction that bowled them over. With a roar it resumed its grip on Frodo and latched on to Sam as well. The Watcher hoisted the hobbits over the water high above its ravenous mouth full of sharp teeth. As Sam flailed around with his short sword he saw the size of the Watcher's mouth and had no doubt it was about to swallow him and Frodo whole if they were not immediately rescued.

Legolas was the first of the non-hobbits out of the cave and shot an arrow into the tentacle that held Frodo. The Watcher twitched at the arrow's impact but still had Frodo firmly in its grip. Thor charged past Legolas into the water with a loud cry, following him was Aragorn and Boromir. Banner came out as well and pulled both Merry and Pippin by the hand back into Moria even though all the Fellowship wanted to get out of it a moment ago. The skeletons in the threshold were disturbing but at least they could not harm them like the many-tentacle beast they had been forced to fight.

Aragorn and Boromir hacked down the Watcher's tentacles like tree trunks with their swords to get to Frodo. Thor could not use Mjlonir to slice through the Watcher's tentacles to get to Sam. But the pain he could inflict on the tentacles was arguably more deadly. Holding Mjolnir with two hands Thor swung it with powerful blows into any tentacle that proved to be an obstacle. The tentacles that were struck by Mjolnir's blows were paralysed by the pain it caused them. When Thor reached the tentacle that held Sam the force he slammed Mjolnir into it and the Watcher dropped Sam in an instant. In the brief moment he dropped, Sam worried he would scratch Thor's face with his sword that he still grasped in his hand. Sam did not know that it took more than a normal sword cut to make the God of Thunder bleed.

"Let us quickly return to dry land to which we are better suited Master Samwise" Thor said as he caught him.

"What about Frodo?" Sam gasped in return.

Aragorn and Boromir were facing much heavier resistance from the Watcher than Thor did as they attempted to get to Frodo. For every of its tentacles they cut down another took its place. To confuse them further the Watcher passed Frodo around its tentacles that made it hard to keep track of him. They were also aware that the Watcher instead might turn those same tentacles on to them also.

It was fortunate for the Fellowship that Captain America had joined its ranks. Rogers stood by Legolas and threw his shield towards the Watcher. If the manner that Aragorn and Boromir attacked the Watcher's tentacles with their swords were like axes chopping tree trunks, Roger's attack with his shield was like a chainsaw. In its return flight to him, Rogers shield quickly sliced through a number of tentacles including the one that held Frodo. The Watcher recoiled at the quick loss of so many of its body parts letting out a savage growl.

Boromir caught Frodo as he fell. Holding Frodo, he and Aragorn begun to wade through the water as quickly as they could towards the rest of the Fellowship. As a call to cover the trio's retreat Boromir exclaimed "Legolas"! The Mirkwood Prince answered with an arrow that precisely pierced one of the Watcher's eyes.

Thor and Rogers thought about launching a counterattack against this Watcher at this moment. Gandalf who saw in the Watcher's 'face' the anger it felt from being hurt (from its perspective) by such small creatures stopped them.

"Into the mines!" he commanded them and all other Fellowship members standing outside of Moria. The Watcher surged towards them lifting itself out of the water.

"_Run!_" Aragorn emphasised as they bolted as best they could through the narrow doorway.

Unable to catch any of the Fellowship, in its wrath the Watcher smashed the Doors of Durin with its tentacles. The Fellowship had to run deeper into the threshold as the force of the Watcher's action caused a section of its roof to crumble. The section fell as a rockslide of boulders that quickly blocked the doorway as well as any light that could pass through it. The Fellowship only stopped running when the crumbling stilled. In the now pitch black Threshold of Moria, the only sounds they could hear were the exertions of their heavy breathing.

* * *

With a solid tap of his staff on the ground Gandalf reignited the light on top of it piercing the darkness that had engulfed the Fellowship. Now that he light to see with Thor walked towards the pile of boulders while still holding Mjolnir.

"It may take some hours" he said as he surveyed the damage "but I think I can clear a way through the rocks with Mjolnir".

"No thanks Mr Thor!" Sam blurted out quickly. "It's very kind of you to offer but I would rather leave well enough alone if you follow me". Sam was no coward but he did not think it would be a bright move if the Fellowship voluntarily began to remove any barrier between them and the beast that nearly ate him and Frodo.

"Yes" Gandalf agreed in a deeply authoritative voice. "We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria". The rest of the Fellowship began to follow Gandalf as he moved forward.

"Be on your guard," warned the Grey Wizard "there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world".

"We've noticed" Rogers rejoined with mild sarcasm as he was still shaken by the Fellowship's encounter with the Watcher.

Banner thought this was a pretty uncharacteristic remark by Rogers who he was walking beside. He murmured to him "Keep talking like that Captain and soon I shall start calling you 'Tony Stark' by mistake".

* * *

**Personally I think Captain America would probably prefer battling the Watcher than taking on even one of Stark's personality traits. Although Rogers would welcome having Iron Man in the Fellowship if he knew what they were about to face in Moria.**


	8. The Darkness of Moria

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

21/12/2012

_For what it's worth I extend my sincere condolences to all those affected by the Newtown mass shooting. IMHO one of the great themes of Lord of the Rings is that in times of crisis or tragedy our common humanity should outweigh national boundaries._

As a number of reviewers have asked I assure readers that the Hulk shall be unleashed on Middle-earth. I just have to get the timing right.

**gunman**: Thanks very much for pointing out the typo! I meant no disrespect to Black Widow and have corrected it accordingly.

**Prettyopal26**: Any humour in this story is observational based especially how the three Avengers react to Middle-earth and those they meet on their travels there. A few more opportunities of this to arise I am sure.

**Brad W**: I agree a fully powered Hulk v Balrog smackdown would be pretty cool!

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Darkness of Moria**

Gandalf advised the Fellowship that it was a four day journey to the other side of Moria. The Fellowship had found two disused pitch torches for a light source in addition to the crystal on Gandalf's staff. Banner carried one in the middle of the Fellowship while the other was carried by Boromir who has stationed at the rear.

After their encounter with the Watcher and the remains in Moria's Threshold, the Fellowship took very seriously Gandalf's advice to remain quiet as possible. So far in their journey in Moria they had not encountered either friends or foes. They had hoped this would remain the case until they had left these dark mines. The one exception was Gimli who privately held on to the hope that maybe his cousin had survived the goblin's assault and was now secure in some hidden location in Moria.

The further the Fellowship ventured into Moria the more Banner considered it to be unlike any mine he had known. Banner knew enough about mine engineering that underground mines in Earth's modern world were usually a series of horizontal stopes accessed by a vertical shaft or spiral decline. Moria had crude pulleys and mine workings but its structure also contained stone passageways, steep stairways, and rooms and halls covered with intricate carvings. He was also conscious that the often-narrow pathways the Fellowship used traversed over very deep pits in areas. The pathway the Fellowship was currently on ran alongside a stope wall to its left and the edge of a deep pit to its right. Banner noticed white and silver specks on the stope wall by the pale orange light flickering from the torch he carried.

"What did the dwarves mine here Gandalf?" he asked as quietly as he could to the wizard who was a few yards ahead of Banner at the front of the column.

"The wealth of Moria Master Banner was not in gold or jewels but mithril" Gandalf answered before shining the light on his staff down the pit to the Fellowship's right. The whole Fellowship could see what appeared to be the remains of large veins of mithril reflecting a silver colour in response to Gandalf's light.

_I wonder if there are any books on Middle-earth's geology and chemistry to reduce my ignorance of it_ Banner thought before asking Gandalf "Sorry Gandalf but what is 'mithril'? We don't have any metal called that on Earth'".

"Bruce my lad, here in _Middle_-earth there is no metal more greatly prized to behold or to be crafted" Gimli said welcoming the opportunity to turn his thoughts away from his dead kindred the Fellowship found earlier. With typical dwarvish enthusiasm for all things metalworking he further explained "Mithril can be polished like glass and its beauty does not tarnish like common silver. It can also be beaten like copper and crafted into armour that can withstand any blow, even one I think from Odinson's hammer".

Thor gave a good natured reply "I would welcome the opportunity to test your claim Gimli".

"You may not get such an opportunity Thor" Gandalf advised. "Mithril armour is especially hard to find these days. In fact the last piece I can remember seeing was a coat of mithril rings that a great dwarven king named Thorin presented to Bilbo decades ago".

"That was a kingly gift!" Gimli remarked impressed.

"Yes," Gandalf continued "I did not tell Bilbo that its worth was greater than the value of the Shire".

Despite Banner's earlier observation about his creeping use of sarcasm, Rogers thought Gandalf's comment was too good to pass up on.

"One of our fellow Avengers whose not here has a similarly expensive suit of armour." he said which elicited a chuckle from Banner and Thor. They both knew which absent Avenger that Captain America was referring to.

* * *

The Fellowship had come to a halt in its travels. They had come to a landing at the top of some winding stairs in which there were three separate doorways that each marked the entrance of a different tunnel. Gandalf advised the Fellowship that he "Had no memory of this place". The only other Fellowship member who had been to Moria, Aragorn, had no memory of the three doorways either. Gandalf had perched himself cross-legged on a rock in front of the doorways pondering which one the Fellowship should take. Except for Frodo who was sitting close to Gandalf, the rest of Fellowship was sitting on the steps while they waited for the wizard's memory to come back to him.

Some members of the Fellowship smoked their pipes while every one of them could hear Pippin whispering to Merry fretting how hungry he was. Thor was sitting next to Gimli on one of the stairs.

"I apologise to you Thor for my foolish earlier optimism about Khazad-dum" Gimli said to him quietly.

"You need not to apologise to me for anything my friend" Thor replied. "You could not have known what fate has befallen these mines".

Gimli nodded before continuing "Along with my father, my cousin Balin was actually on the adventure where Master Bilbo received his mithril coat. Being a mere lad of sixty or so I could not join them but I loved the stories they used to tell about it. When we came here I hoped Balin could have told them to you and the others but now…"

"If we don't find your cousin you shall have to tell me his stories in his stead" Thor tried to comfort Gimli. "Hopefully you will tell them to me over a few mugs of the fine dwarven ale that you keep mentioning".

Gimli gave a small smile in return "You may pass out from all the ale you consume before I finish telling them Odinson".

"If you are suggesting that I pass out easily from drinking, then that shall be the second challenge of yours I am ready to meet Master Dwarf".

Thor, Gimli and the rest of the Fellowship were interrupted by a cry of acknowledgment from Gandalf.

"It's that way!" the Grey Wizard said pointing his head to one of the doorways.

"He's remembered" Merry commented to the Fellowship.

"No" Gandalf replied. "But the air doesn't smell so foul down here". He then bent over the Merry who was now standing beside him "If in doubt Meriadoc always follow your nose".

The Fellowship followed Gandalf down a narrow stairway until exited into seemingly another large cavern.

"Let me risk a little more light" Gandalf murmured as he held up his staff to shine its light into the cavern even further. "Behold the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf".

The Avengers caught their breath along with the rest of the Fellowship at what they saw. Whereas they were horrified when Gandalf's staff revealed the massacre by the Doors of Durin they were in awe of what his staff revealed now. They saw an enormous stone hall supported by ornate columns that stretched up as far as the eye could see. Gandalf told the Fellowship this wondrous structure was known as the 'Twenty First Hall' by the dwarves who dwelt in Khazad-dum.

Each of the three Avengers thoughts struggled to catch up to what their eyes saw. Rogers thought the New York Subway was an underground engineering marvel in his time but the Subway did not have the intricate stonework and carvings that this hall had. Given the conjecture over how long it took ancient peoples to build monuments like the Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge and Angkor Wat, Banner wondered how long it took Gimli's people to build this hall. Thor believed that such a magnificent structure would not be unworthy of standing within the bounds of Asgard.

Sam spoke for the whole Fellowship when he remarked at the sight before them "That's an eye opener make no mistake".

* * *

As the Fellowship continued its journey through the Twenty-First Hall they eventually came across a set of double doors to their right. Two wooden doors were pushed opened and revealed a room that had a beam of sunlight streaming through its back wall through a small shaft. Gimli gasped when he noticed something in the middle of the room and began running towards it. Gandalf called out his name but Gimli could not be dissuaded to stop. The rest of the Fellowship walked quickly to follow Gimli.

As the Fellowship passed through the doors Gandalf turned to see dwarven runes marked over the doorway they had just entered. "This is the Chamber of Mazarbul, Khazad-dum's chamber of records" he remarked to the rest of the Fellowship with the exception of Gimli. Gimli was kneeling at what appeared to be a stone altar or sarcophagus. Gimli gave a muffled cry of "No" at the sight before him.

As the eleven other members of the Fellowship joined him, Rogers noted that the Chamber widened out from the doorway into a large square shaped room. There were steps leading up to ledges that ran along the lengths of both sidewalls. On these ledges were what looked to be old bookcases whose contents had long been ransacked probably by the 'goblins' Legolas mentioned earlier. Most disturbing were the old dwarf skeletons spread about the room including one that had been left perched sitting on a small well in the back of the Chamber.

Gandalf studied the dwarven runes on the stone object that Gimli was kneeling before. "He lies Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria" Gandalf interpreted them for the whole Fellowship aloud. "He is dead then it's as I feared".

Gimli let out a sorrowful moan as Gandalf confirmed the answer to what had happened to his cousin who came here thirty years earlier. As he begun to mumble some prayers in Dwarvish, Thor joined Boromir in placing a hand on Gimli's shoulder as a show of comfort and support.

Gandalf had noticed a thick tome being held by a skeleton leaning against Balin's Tomb, presumably the tome's author in life. Gandalf handed his hat and staff to Pippin so he could remove the tome from the skeletal grasp of its owner. He blew the accumulated dust off the tome's cover before carefully turning its pages of parchment.

Standing between Thor and Aragorn, Legolas whispered to both of them "We must move on. We cannot linger".

Thor knew Legolas was right but by the same token Gimli deserved what the humans called 'closure' in relation to his dead cousin. He remembered the Midgard peoples euphoria at the Avengers' victory over the Chitauri was tempered by their grief over the countless casualties the invasion had caused. Loki had once written a request for books to read during his current confinement. The only materials the All-Father was willing to give Loki were the details of all the humans killed during the Chitauri invasion, including those by his own hand. Thor held the slim hope that Loki felt some tiny remorse for his actions as one of his reasons for rejecting Odin's offer.

Gandalf began reading aloud from the tome "They have taken the Bridge and the Second Hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums. Drums in the Deep".

Gandalf's reading of the account of these dwarves apparent last stand was making Rogers nervous along with other members of the Fellowship. He appreciated that Gandalf was trying to honour the fallen dwarves by retelling the story of their last moments. But if the Fellowship did not resume its journey soon and if goblins were still about, they may soon have to record a last stand of their own.

Holding Gandalf's staff and hat, Pippin tried to tune out what Gandalf was reading. Due to the peaceful life the Shire had afforded him, he could not imagine how horrible it must have been for Gimli's kin to have been trapped in this room awaiting their doom. Pippin tried to distract himself by the skeleton sitting on the well at the back of the Chamber. The skeleton seemed to be holding the well's heavy chained bucket as well as having an arrow lodged in its ribcage. Pippin slowly walked towards it trying to figure out how it remained sitting on the well's edge despite the weight it carried.

His back turned to Pippin Gandalf continued his narration "A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out". He came to what appeared to be the last entry in the tome that had been hastily scrawled down on the page along with some drops of what presumably was the author's blood "They are coming".

As Gandalf finished reading the ominous sounding words Rogers looked over the wizard's shoulder. He saw Pippin, seemingly lost in morbid curiosity, reaching to pull at an arrow stuck in the skeleton sitting on the well.

"No Pippin!" Rogers audibly warned.

It was too late. Pippin touched the arrow's fletching that resulted in the victim's skull disconnect from the rest of its remains and clatter down the now apparent deep well. The rest of the Fellowship spun to look in Pippin's direction. Seeming to want to remain connected with is head even after death, the rest of the body tumbled back into the well dragging the bucket chain with it. An almighty echo resounded throughout the Chamber as the dwarf's remains unceremoniously hit the bottom of the well.

The majority of the Fellowship breathed a sigh of relief as they had been startled by the original sound that Pippin had unintentionally caused. Gandalf put down the tome and gave the hobbit a withering look.

"Fool of a Took!" he growled at Pippin as he snatched his hat and staff back from him. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity"!

Pippin was saved from a further tongue lashing by a loud rhythmic pounding that seemed to come from out of the well that echoed throughout the Chamber. The Fellowship also heard the pounding sound come through the Chamber's entrance. Repeating what Gandalf just read Banner hazarded a guess to the Fellowship as to the cause of the pounding "Drums in the Deep".

The pounding of drums was quickly followed by the echoes of numerous high pitched screeches and howls. Looking at Frodo's scabbard Sam gasped "Frodo". The Avengers were taken back when Frodo withdrew Sting to reveal its blade was glowing light blue. Their mystery of why it was doing this was answered in one word by Legolas who was listening to the screeches to determine their source. "Orcs!" he proclaimed with warning.

"Get back and stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn ordered the four hobbits. Gandalf discarded his hat on the floor and gathered the hobbits behind him - even quickly assuring Pippin that he was not still angry with him. The hobbits followed Gandalf's example in drawing their swords. At their actions Banner, who was next to the hobbits, began looking at the floor for a weapon as he had long rid himself of the orc spear he had used a few days ago.

Rogers followed Boromir in running to the Chamber doors to get a visual confirmation of what the elf claimed to have heard. Rogers stopped when Boromir suddenly halted, having to let two arrows shot in the direction of his head pass by and embed themselves into the rotting timber of one of the doors.

"Boromir!" Rogers cried with concern for his friend.

"I am fine Steve" Boromir quickly replied. The Gondorian noticed that Aragorn had joined them and was carrying some of the Chamber's disused weapons to bar its doors with. "They have a cave troll" he wryly commented mostly to Aragorn. Rogers had no knowledge of what a 'Cave Troll' in Middle-earth was but given Boromir's tone he was willing to bet it was a lot bigger and meaner opponent than orcs and goblins were. Given the situation he wasn't game to ask if it was just as bad as the water monster with many tentacles though.

After the three men had barred the doors as best they could they ran back to take position with the rest of the Fellowship. As he was about to enter combat, Rogers instinctively pulled his mask down.

"Come, Son of Gloin" Thor said as he helped Gimli to his feet. "Let us honour your fallen cousin by competing as to how many orcs and goblins we can each kill".

"Count me in your competition as well Prince Thor" Legolas added drawing his bow before looking at Gimli. Gimli gave the elven prince a nod for his show of support. Gimli had found a way to give shape to the idea of the 'kill competition' that he thought of at the Doors of Durin. What better way to start it than in retribution for his fallen kin!

Facing the Chamber doors, the Fellowship arrayed itself in battle order. In the order's front line from left to right stood Rogers, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir and Thor. Gimli had climbed onto his cousin's tomb and was standing behind Legolas. Behind Rogers and Aragorn were Gandalf, Banner and the four hobbits. The Chamber doors began to sway as the Goblins of Moria sought to break them down to get to the Fellowship.

"Let them come!" Gimli defiantly declared. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath"! The goblins were soon to find out that in the Chamber there were more terrible things than dwarves that breathed.

Banner was still looking for a weapon when the goblins commenced their attack on the door. He stopped when an all too familiar sensation surged throughout his body. Just as the goblins were pounding down the door to get into the Chamber, Banner felt the Other Guy was pounding on the inside of his body wanting to get out. He discreetly moved back a couple of steps from where the hobbits were.

One goblin had cut a small hole through one of the doors with its axe. The small hole was all the space that Legolas needed to dispatch it with an arrow launched from its bow. Aragorn was about to release an arrow as well until he was distracted by Merry's cry of "Bruce"!

The Fellowship spun around in Merry's direction. The original members of the Fellowship were staggered to see Banner having apparent spasms with his skin turning green and arm and leg muscles slowly but painfully tearing through his clothes. Banner fell to his hands and knees.

"Leave him!" Rogers commanded the hobbits whom, thinking he was having a violent fit, commenced moving towards Banner to help him. Despite they were likely about to be assaulted by a horde of goblins, as a healer Aragorn could not ignore a man in pain. He firmly demanded of Rogers "What's wrong with Bruce?"

"I think you are all about to be the first in Middle-earth to witness what Bruce calls his 'little party trick'" Rogers calmly replied indicating that the Fellowship should refocus its attention on what was about to burst through the Chamber's doors.

The Chamber doors crashed open and countless goblins came pouring through them. Legolas cut down the first one in the Chamber with an arrow to its eye. Rogers threw his shield at the area of wall just above the doorway. He caught it on the run on its return flight to him as it cut through a number of goblins on its downward path. Rogers was joined by Aragorn, Boromir and Thor in hand to hand fighting with the goblins.

Thor thought these 'Goblins' were smaller in size than the orcs they had encountered previously. Their eyes were larger in size probably due to the evolution of their species as an apparent underground dwelling race. They did not even seem to talk in an understandable tongue as all their communications appeared to be in clicks and screeches. No matter, their weapons and armour were just as poor as the orcs and they crumpled before Mjolnir's blows just as easily. He was pleased to see Gimli using the height advantage that Balin's Tomb afforded him by taking down a number of goblins with the battle axes he dual wielded.

Aragorn and Rogers combined well in their attacks on the goblins. Rogers stunned them or battered away their attacks with his shield which Aragorn followed up by cutting them down with his two handed sword. Seeing Rogers in action, Aragorn believed his elven brothers by adoption, Elladan and Elrohir, would be indignant if he told them he had met a Man their equal or superior in strength and speed.

With a cry Gandalf attacked the goblins using his staff and trusted sword 'Glamdring'. The hobbits followed his lead by throwing themselves into the battle despite the fear they felt. They were especially driven by their desire to protect Banner who was still going through a series of terrible convulsions.

Two goblins came through the door way pulling something through it on the end of a chain. That 'thing' was a twelve foot tall cave troll that caused the masonry around the doorway to collapse as it was too big to fit through the doorway normally. It carried a large stone hammer in its right hand and announced its arrival into the battle with an ugly bellow.

Thor thought the troll reminded him of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Although he had to admit that despite being some of his most implacable foes, the Giants were not bestial in nature as this troll appeared to be. "I hope you are as strong as a troll as you appear to be Master Thor" Boromir commented to him.

Spotting Sam, the troll brought the full weight of its hammer towards him. The troll assumed that the hobbit would be an easy kill given his small size. Before Sam could dodge the blow Rogers jumped in front of him.

_CLANG!_

The sound of the troll's hammer impacting on Roger's shield reverberated around the Chamber. Both goblins and members of the Fellowship flinched at the loud noise but gritted their teeth and continued their combat despite the noise still ringing in their ears. Even with his super strength the force of the troll's blow on his shield caused Rogers to stumble back a couple of paces. He narrowly avoiding tripping over Sam whom was directly behind him.

"_AARRGGGHHH"!_

A menacing angry roar from the back of the Chamber promptly caused all combat within it to immediately cease.

* * *

**I think it's pretty obvious what is about to happen next. Unfortunately as I am changing jobs I do not think I will be able to write the next chapter before Christmas Day. So please accept my compliments of the season to all of you. Like me, if you are in a country that has to wait until Boxing Day for its release I hope you all enjoy **_**The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey **_**as well.**


	9. A Clash of Great Powers

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

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26/12/2012

Hi everyone. I hope you all had as great a Christmas as I did. My youngest nephew loved the Avengers Lego Set my father and I gave him as it contained Hulk (his favourite superhero) and Thor. Like a lot of reviewers of this story seem to want, he had Hulk brawl with the Cave Troll that is part of the Moria Lego Set that my eldest nephew has!

First Spoiler Alert – Just because Thor and Hulk are underpowered at the moment doesn't necessarily mean they will be like that for the rest of the story. Again timing is everything.

Thanks for everyone's reviews. They are proving to be a big help in making improvements to this story as well encouraging me to update it as quickly as I can.

**Mainalpha**: You are right about the vortex. It's the best plot device I was capable of thinking of. Not only to get the three Avengers to Middle-earth but also to limit Thor's & Hulk's powers so as not to cause too great an imbalance at the start.

**FireheartNinja**: I'm glad you are enjoying it. I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

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**Chapter 9 – A Clash of Great Powers**

A deathly silence hanged over the Chamber as all the combatants within it, including the cave troll, stared at what now stood at the back of the room.

Gandalf thought he had seen and heard it all throughout his long existence in Arda. But as of now he was as stunned as any of the four hobbits at the sight before him. Banner appeared to have transformed into a green skinned ten-foot tall creature that only wore the torn remains of Banner's trousers. The creature's physique appeared as powerful as the anger the creature seemed to emanate. Although similar in many respects to a troll the wizard thought it wrong to describe it as such. The formidable arm and leg muscles the creature possessed contoured like a man's while its facial features, including its head of hair, were a warped form of Banner's. When Gandalf was a prisoner at Orthanc he was shocked to observe how Saruman had crossbred orcs and goblin-men to create a new breed of creature. But the knowledge to transform a normal man into what stood before him would be beyond even what an Istari possessed!

Sam stood behind Rogers who still covered him from the troll even though the battle had come to a halt. Turning to see what made the angry roar behind him, Sam remembered Bruce saying something about having a 'whole different side' when he got angry. Sam thought Banner had showed this side (which was frightening enough) when he yelled at Frodo. But Bruce also said he could get a whole lot angrier and that the Fellowship should not want to be at the receiving end of it.

Not turning his gaze from the green monster, Sam calmly but tensely asked Rogers "That's the Hulk"?

"That's the Hulk" Rogers confirmed in a matter of fact tone.

"Blimey".

Seemingly angered that it was no longer the main focus of attention in the Chamber, the Cave Troll bellowed in challenge at Hulk. On later reflection Rogers would compare the sound of the troll's hammer hitting his shield to a ringside bell announcing the commencement of a heavyweight title bout.

Fellowship members and goblins alike had to dart out of the way as Hulk responded to the troll's challenge by charging straight at it. The troll swung its hammer at Hulk's head. Before the hammer made contact with him Hulk grabbed the troll's right wrist with his left hand. Being two feet taller than Hulk, the troll was surprised at the strength Hulk exerted to prevent it from moving its hammer. The troll tried a new attack by punching towards Hulk with its left fist. Hulk stopped the punch in motion with his right palm.

As Thor and Rogers were the only two combatants in the Chamber who had previously seen Hulk, both quickly overcame their initial shock at his appearance. They began engaging and killing the goblins closest to them that continued to gaze at the battle between Hulk and the troll. As these goblins fell, the other Fellowship members and the remaining goblins re-commenced where they had left off before Hulk's arrival.

Both Hulk and the troll gritted their teeth due to the position that Hulk's grip had locked them into. Under normal circumstances the troll would have been no match for the Hulk's exponential level of strength. The part of Hulk's consciousness that was Banner rationalised that just as the vortex had affected Banner's ability to call upon Hulk, maybe it had diminished Hulk's actual strength as well. The remainder of Hulk's consciousness just got angry that he was unable to sweep aside the troll as easily as he should.

The troll resolved their positional stalemate with a powerful head-butt that caused Hulk to stumble back into the sidewall behind him. The sidewall cracked at Hulk's impact before he slipped onto his rear. Seeing Hulk in this position four goblins thought he was vulnerable to be attacked. As their iron weapons rebounded off his skin or broke on impact these goblins quickly learned that Hulk was always _in_vulnerable against any goblin attack. With a powerful backwards sweep of his right arm Hulk swatted the four goblins like gnats and sent them flying to all parts of the Chamber.

The troll was about to follow up its earlier attack on Hulk when it felt a sharp pain in its right shoulder. From his position standing on Balin's Tomb, Gimli had thrown one of his axes into the troll. Gimli had to leap off his cousin's tomb to avoid the hammer blow the troll intended for him in response. The hammer blow meant for Gimli shattered the tomb instead. The troll again made to attack Gimli with its hammer. Gimli ducked and avoided two swings the troll made at him. Each swing may have missed the dwarf but they connected with goblins unfortunate to be in the path of the swing. The cry the goblins made as they flew into the air before being brained when they hit the Chamber's walls reminded Rogers of the sound made by fleeing cats.

Gimli rolled out of the way as the troll brought its hammer straight down on him. The hammer broke through the Chamber floor, jamming itself into the impact crater it had made. The only other participant in the battle wielding a war hammer took this opportunity to attack the troll. Thor faced the troll side on to its right. He was standing on one of the staircases that ran up the side of the wall that faced opposite to where Hulk had stumbled. Thor quickly judged the distance and angle between him and the troll's hammer before launching himself forwards. On his downward trajectory Thor brought down Mjolnir onto the troll's hammer with as much force as he could. He was specifically aiming at where the hammer's shaft connected to its head. The troll was trying to free its jammed hammer when Mjolnir's blow separated the hammer's head from its shaft. The troll growled at the now broken shaft it held in it hand. Enraged that Thor had disabled its weapon of choice, the troll struck him with the broken shaft sending Thor flying back onto the stairway he just attacked from. Thor's constitution was infinitely greater than any goblin's but he still felt a sharp pain when he hit the stairs with the back of his head. _I knew I should have worn my helm when I descended from Asgard a few days ago_ he thought.

Legolas became the fourth member of the Fellowship to engage the troll. He was on the sidewall ledge that directly faced the troll. Seeing the troll's gaze was fixed on where Thor had landed, the Elf drew back two arrows with his bowstring. Using his sublime archery skills he released both arrows simultaneously at the troll's chest. The troll spun its head in Legolas' direction when it felt the arrows pierce its skin. While the troll was not greatly pained by both arrows, their sudden impact startled it enough to drop the broken shaft of its hammer.

As its two handlers had been killed, the troll began using the iron chain attached to the collar around its neck as a long whip against Legolas. Legolas nimbly dodged the first lash of the chain by moving behind some pillars that ran from the ledge to the Chamber roof. The troll bend the chain back again ready for another strike but it noticed the chain was being restrained from behind. The troll spun around and saw that Hulk had grabbed with both his hands the opposite end of the chain. Hulk gave the troll an angry snarl if to show that it took more than a head butt to take him out of a fight. With the troll and Hulk pulling the chain in opposite directions a colossal tug of war broke out between them.

With the troll's back now turned to him, Legolas moved to take the opportunity this presented. He carefully aimed an arrow at the spine of the troll's neck. But before he could release the arrow Legolas noticed to his right that some goblins had climbed onto the ledge and were now charging towards him. Legolas was quick to adapt to the new threat he faced. He turned to his right and shot the goblin closest to him with the arrow he had intended for the troll. As the goblins were now in melee range Legolas swiftly withdrew one of his two fighting long knives and began to slash at his goblin attackers.

As the Hulk seemed able to stand alone against the troll, the Elven Prince did not feel guilty that he had to abandon helping another Fellowship member in order to save his own life.

* * *

Behind Hulk, Boromir stood close to the sidewall with his back to it. Boromir had taken this position to prevent the goblins from attacking him from behind. Boromir thought he had never been in such a battle especially after Banner transformed into a green monster or 'Hulk' as Rogers described it. While it exaggerated the height differences of all the Chamber's combatants, Boromir compared the situation to ants fighting to the death while trying to avoid being stepped on by a pair of battling mumakils.

Thor had pulled himself up from his crash on the ledge stairway and was now fighting on it back to back with Sam. It was something of a misnomer to call the two's formation 'back to back' as Sam's head just came over Thor's waist. Sam improvised a fighting style with his sword being in one hand and his frying pan in the other. He stunned a goblin by smacking its face with the frying pan before finishing it with a quick stab with his sword.

As he with withdrew his sword from the goblin he had just killed Sam proclaimed to the Asgardian "Mister Thor I think I am getting the hang of this"!

"You have invented a new martial art Samwise!" Thor replied as Sam whacked another Goblin with his frying pan.

Rogers and Aragorn finally stopped the flow of goblins by killing the last ones coming through the doorway as reinforcements. That left only all the goblins that were already in the Chamber. Rogers quickly surveyed the situation to see where he was most needed. Rogers spotted to his left that Boromir had backed up against a sidewall while trying to hold off two goblins. Rogers noticed another three goblins moving towards Boromir ready to attack. Normally he could easily take them down with a throw of his shield. Unfortunately Gandalf would be in shield's flight path as the wizard was tied down in a duel of his own. Rogers ran towards Boromir as hard and fast as he could. With a powerful exertion of his enhanced leg muscles, Rogers jumped over the head of the goblin that Gandalf was fighting. When he landed Rogers promptly intercepted the three goblins he had spotted and cut them down using his shield as a melee weapon. Boromir stabbed one of the two goblins he had been fighting just as Rogers reached him and killed the other. Boromir gave his friend a quick nod of appreciation.

The two Captains did not have time to savour their small victory. The iron chain that Hulk and the troll struggled over strained and then snapped at its midpoint. Such was the force they had poured into their tug of war that when the chain broke, both the troll and Hulk quickly stumbled backwards into the respective sidewall behind each of them. Gandalf, Rogers and Boromir had to sharply dive to avoid being squashed by Hulk as he crashed into the sidewall closest to them. Hulk's crash caused a large section of the sidewall's ledge to crumble creating a gap he unceremoniously fell back into.

"Hulk watch for friendlies!" Rogers loudly warned him. Hulk gave Rogers a grimace in return.

The other sidewall suffered the same fate when the troll fell backwards into it. The gap the troll had made in the ledge separated Legolas from Merry, Pippin and Frodo. Unfortunately Frodo was so close to the gap's edge that he lost his footing and fell backwards on to the troll's portly belly. The Ring-bearer tried to stand and scramble off the troll as quickly as he could. Frodo fended off the troll's left hand from grabbing him with a sharp cut from Sting. However Frodo's back was turned to the troll's right hand and he was caught off guard when it strongly gripped him as the troll sat up.

Aragorn had not been idle since he and Rogers had dispatched the last of the goblin's reinforcements. Before the Fellowship left Rivendell, Aragorn had sworn to Frodo that with his sword he would protect him by his life or death. Aragorn prided himself for being a man of his word and charged towards the troll when it had Frodo in its grasp. With a loud cry Aragorn drove his sword deep into the troll's left ankle. With a roar of pain the troll dropped Frodo before battering Aragorn away with a backward flick of its left hand. The troll pulled itself back up on to its feet, though its stance was now a bit wobbly due to Aragorn's sword remaining stuck in its ankle.

Frodo hit the Chamber's stone floor hard when the troll dropped him on to it. He was slightly dazed as he stood up and his diminished sense of self-awareness was all the opportunity the troll needed. The troll ignored the stones being thrown at it by Merry and Pippin from the ledge it was facing and picked up a discarded goblin spear that lay on the floor. Gripping the spear with both its hands the troll then thrust it into Frodo's waist.

The whole Fellowship heard Frodo's cry when the spear struck him. Some members of the Fellowship were able to turn and see Frodo fall face down into the ground after the troll withdrew the spear from him. "Frodo!" Sam called to him. Hearing no response from Frodo, Sam and Thor shared a look before they both started furiously dispatching any goblins that stood between them and the Ring-bearer.

Satisfied that Frodo was killed, the troll turned its murderous attention to Merry and Pippin. As all the goblins in the Chamber were now killed the rest of the Fellowship moved to the pair's rescue. As he pushed up from the ground Hulk decided to take care of the troll himself. He launched himself onto the troll's back, gripping its waist with his legs and squeezing the troll's head between his powerful hands. The rest of the Fellowship that remained standing had to make room as the troll staggered back trying to reach Hulk from behind. As he struggled with the troll Hulk began to feel some of his full strength slowly returning. Using his anger to draw on his increasing strength, Hulk violently twisted the troll's head and its neck broke with a powerful snap. Hulk jumped off the now dead troll's back as it slumped forward onto the floor.

With all its enemies in the Chamber now dead the Fellowship caught its breath. Under normal circumstances the original members of the Fellowship would have had countless things to ask the Avengers about Hulk. Both groups instead focused their attention on Frodo, as he had not moved since being stabbed by the troll.

Aragorn reached Frodo first and feared the worst. "Oh no" he whispered as he rolled Frodo over on to his back. The rest of the Fellowship member's eyes widened when they saw Frodo moving with his worst injury appearing to be a nasty cough. Sam knelt next to Frodo on the opposite side to Aragorn. So relieved that the Ring-bearer was alive and seemingly uninjured none of the Fellowship minded when Sam stated the obvious to them "He's alive"!

Seeing that Frodo was alive Rogers gently patted Hulk's right wrist before telling him "Thanks for helping out big guy".

"I too am grateful for your timely arrival Hulk" Thor added. "Though given what you did to me the last time I stood next to you, I shall give my thanks from a distance".

Hulk gave a short grunt of appreciation in reply to his fellow two Avengers.

After he had finished coughing Frodo said calmly "It's alright. I'm not hurt".

"You should be dead" a confused Aragorn told him. "That spear would skewered a wild boar".

"I think this hobbit is a bit like Master Banner" Gandalf observed. "There's more to him than meets the eye".

Frodo parted his shirt to display a shiny silver-white metal coat he wore underneath it.

"Mithril" Gimli softly stated as he stared admiringly at what Frodo had revealed.

"Now we know what happened to Bilbo's coat!" Pippin exclaimed.

Switching his attention between Frodo and Hulk, Gimli stated to both of them "You are both full of surprises Masters Baggins and Banner".

"I strongly second your observation Gimli" Boromir agreed being still awed by the sight of the Hulk in front of him.

As he pulled his sword from the troll's body Aragorn suggested the Fellowship should quickly gather up their belongings. Questions about this 'Hulk' could wait until the Fellowship had put the Chamber well behind them.

"Where to now Gandalf?" Rogers asked the Grey Wizard.

Before Gandalf could reply the Fellowship's attention was grabbed by the sound of screeching goblins. Through the Chamber doorway they could see torchlight casting the shadows of countless goblins heading towards the Fellowship.

Gandalf hastily commanded "To the Bridge of Khazad-dum"!

* * *

With Gandalf leading them the Fellowship dashed out of the Chamber of Mazarbul in the direction of the Twenty-First Hall's exit. Goblin calls and screeches echoed throughout the Hall. A few hundred yards ahead of them the Fellowship observed a dark outline of a mass of goblins quickly moving towards them. With inhuman strides Hulk rapidly left the rest of the Fellowship behind him.

Hulk's strength and invulnerability were well known but he was also capable of moving at great speeds. He often used this speed to generate the momentum that allowed him to leap across great distances. Although his abilities were currently diminished somewhat, Hulk still executed a powerful leap towards the incoming goblins. The rest of the Fellowship felt the floor tremble beneath their feet when Hulk landed in the goblins' midst. Those goblins Hulk did not squash or scatter on impact he began sweeping aside with powerful arm movements. Although he was twice their size the goblins tried attacking Hulk in response as they still outnumbered him by the hundreds. Like in the Chamber, the Hulk was impervious to being damaged by goblin attacks even though there were many more goblins. And like their Chamber kin, any goblins that tried to attack Hulk in melee he promptly sent flying in all directions.

Hulk was doing the Fellowship a great service by trying to clear a path between the goblins and the Hall's exit. However Hulk did not have the power to be in two or more places at once. The goblins he was engaging were not the only ones in the Hall converging on the Fellowship. As the rest of Fellowship tried to catch up with Hulk, goblins seemingly limitless in number came towards them from behind, both left and right, and even up from narrow crevasses in the Hall's floor. _Damn_ Rogers thought as the now one hundred-yard space between the Fellowship and Hulk was rapidly filled by goblins. The goblins filling this gap had emerged out the holes in the Hall's roof and rapidly climbed headfirst down its pillars to floor. The rest of the Fellowship was now arrayed in a tight circle as the goblins had now completely surrounded them. _Unlike Hulk the rest of us are not immune to the goblin's weapons or their numbers_ Rogers thought. He was about to shout out to Hulk to come back and aid the Fellowship when a deep and ominous rumble echoed throughout the Hall.

Just as earlier when Hulk's roar stopped all combat in the Chamber of Mazarbul, the rumble bought all activity within the Twenty-First Hall to a halt. Even Hulk paused at the unnerving sound. There was second rumble that came from the direction opposite to where the Fellowship was heading. As the Fellowship and the goblins looked towards the rumble's location they noticed that one of the Hall's arches was covered in an evil glow of red and orange. Further this glow was steadily drawing towards where the combatants were standing.

At this the goblins exchanged panicked clicks and screeches and rapidly fled from the Fellowship back to the shadows they had come from. With no goblins in his way now Hulk bounded up to the rest of the Fellowship. Aside from sensing the rumble and the glow, Thor also smelt something burning. The fear on the goblins faces indicated that whatever was the source of their panic he was certain it could not be simply an underground fire.

Standing behind Gandalf, Boromir spoke for the whole Fellowship as he nervously asked the wizard "What is this new devilry"?

At first Gandalf did not answer Boromir or even turn to face him. Gandalf's head was bowed and he closed his eyes lost in thought. His greatest fear about the Fellowship travelling through Moria had now been realised.

Thor put a steady hand on Gandalf's left shoulder and prompted him with "Gandalf"?

At Thor's touch, Gandalf opened his eyes but fixated them on the oncoming glow. "It's a Balrog" he explained with thinly hidden dread. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond _any_ of you".

Hulk frowned slightly as he thought the 'any' contained in Gandalf's remark was specifically aimed at him. Gandalf turned to the direction of the Hall's exit and promptly commanded the Fellowship "RUN"!

The Fellowship quickly reached the Hall exit. The exit was a narrow doorway of normal height that led into an equally narrow downward flight of steps. Boromir was the first to go down them. Rogers, Hulk, Gandalf and Aragorn were the last to exit the Hall. Prior to going down the stairs Gandalf and Aragorn paused and looked at Hulk and wondered how he was going to fit down the exit. "Don't worry" Rogers advised both of them. "He'll follow when the rest of us are through". Hulk gave a concurring grunt.

Boromir raced down the stairs until he exited through another narrow doorway that led to a landing. The Fellowship had exited into a very large chasm that was traversed by a narrow stairway. Boromir moved off the landing and down the stairway that commenced directly ahead of him. However after running down only a few stairs he had to suddenly halt as the stairs ended before a bottomless drop. As he struggled to regain his balance he dropped the torch he was carrying down the chasm. Fortunately Legolas and Thor each grabbed one of his arms to steady his dangerous teetering. The Fellowship members that had exited the Hall had to turn to their right and take a detour down an alternate flight of stairs that lead to the cavern's main staircase.

Rogers and Aragorn came out on to the landing with Gandalf behind them. Both men noticed that Gandalf appeared to be struggling somewhat and moved closer to support him. "Gandalf!" Aragorn said to the wizard with quiet concern. Gandalf put his right hand on Aragorn's shoulder and looked at both him and Rogers.

"Lead them on both of you". If Rogers did not know better he thought what Gandalf had just said and the way he spoke sounded like a commanding officer giving final orders to their XO. Before Rogers had the chance to ask him what he had planned, Gandalf spoke again "The Bridge is near"!

Rogers and Aragorn followed Gandalf's gaze to see in the distance a narrow bridge spanning a great chasm. It was at this moment that Hulk burst through the exit in a shower of rubble and dust. At Hulk's arrival, Gandalf pushed Aragorn in the direction of the stairs the Fellowship had to travel.

"Do as I say!" he urged Rogers and Aragorn. "Swords, shields and Hulks are no more use here"!

Due to his natural athleticism Legolas was in the lead as the Fellowship went down the staircase that led to the Bridge of Khazad-dum. Hulk was at the Fellowship's rear as the staircase was too narrow for anyone else to stand beside him. Unlike Boromir earlier, Legolas had plenty of time to see to his front a gap in the stairway. This gap was 'only' about seven feet across but its depth was still terrible. The Fellowship halted as each member prepared to jump the gap.

Legolas easily leaped across the gap to its other side with Thor quickly following him. Gandalf was about to jump when he heard the Balrog's roar coming from behind the Fellowship. He looked around to see the Hall exit was had fiery red glow. Each step the still unseen Balrog took shook the staircase well as parts of the cavern roof to crumble down on it.

"Gandalf!" Legolas beckoned the Wizard with a wave of his arm. Gandalf refocussed on the task at hand and jumped across the gap. When he landed Gandalf heard an arrow whistle overhead from his left. He turned in that direction to see that a company of goblin archers had perched themselves some sixty yards away on a ledge overlooking the Fellowship. Legolas rapidly drew his bow and shot one of the goblin archers in the forehead. The archer let out a dying gurgle as it fell face down from the ledge into the chasm depths

Rogers rapidly covered Merry - who was on the stair in front of him – with his shield to deflect two arrows meant for him. Hulk roared in frustration at the situation. While his full power seemed to be slowly returning he was still not confident his leap could cover the distance between the stairway and the ledge. And he couldn't place his whole body in front of other Fellowship members to block arrows given the narrow confines of the stairway. Given the situation he stretched his left arm in front what Fellowship members he could to block the goblin's line of sight. The down side of Hulk's action was that it blocked Aragorn's line of sight as well. Seeing that Frodo and Sam were well covered by Hulk's arm, Aragorn was not greatly worried he was unable to return fire at the goblins with his own bow.

As soon as the goblin's arrows began falling Thor had interposed himself between the arrows and Gandalf. If he had his full powers Thor could simply dispose of the archers by releasing a rapidly moving Mjolnir at them. Seeing the vortex had taken this power from him (not for too much longer he hoped) Thor instead used his hammer defensively. Hawkeye recalled to Thor how, during the Chitauri invasion, Loki effortlessly caught an arrow in flight the master archer had shot at him ("He wasn't quick enough to catch the arrow's time delay explosion though!" Hawkeye was quick to add). Like his adoptive brother, Thor had centuries of training and experience in blocking attacks including those that were too rapid for a mortal's eye to see. However, unlike Loki, in Thor ran the blood of Odin that endowed him with reflexes worthy of any warrior deity. Using Mjolnir, Thor effortlessly swatted away any arrows the goblin archers (well below Hawkeye's standard he thought) sent in the direction of Legolas, Gandalf and himself. Legolas used Thor's cover to pick off the goblins under far less pressure but there were a great many of them to kill.

However the Fellowship members that remained on the other side of the gap could not cross it at their leisure. The shaking caused by the Balrog's advance began to place great strains on the structural integrity of the stairway. Boromir and Rogers stood next to each other on the same stair. They shot each other a look when they both felt the stairway giving way under their feet. Rogers and Boromir quickly grabbed Merry and Pippin respectively and leapt over the gap while holding them. As they were in mid-flight the part of the stairway the four of them stood on crumbled into the chasm. When he landed on the other side, Rogers would like to have thrown his shield at the goblins to assist Legolas. But he did not want to withdraw the protection it was giving Merry, Pippin and Boromir. Fortunately another Avenger was given an opportunity to assist the Prince of Mirkwood.

Hulk heard a rushing sound coming above his head. He looked up and saw a round shaped boulder about four feet in width descending straight to where he was standing. Having to remove his left arm that was covering some of the Fellowship, Hulk caught the boulder with both his hands just before it hit him. He had to bend his knees slightly to cushion the boulder's momentum. While jumping the gap between the Fellowship and the goblins was currently beyond him, Hulk was still more than capable of throwing a heavy object over the same distance. He heaved the boulder behind his head and with a mighty throw sent it in the direction of the goblin archers. The way the boulder flew towards the ledge reminded Boromir of a shot launched from a trebuchet. Many goblin archers were killed on impact or fell to their deaths as the boulder caused the ledge to crumble beneath them. Any survivors hurriedly ceased their attacks on the Fellowship and fled the scene.

Now that the goblins had been dealt with, the Fellowship could fully focus on crossing the stairway. The gap was now nine feet in length. Aragorn thought that the gap was now too wide for at least three of the four Fellowship members who remained with him. He saw that Rogers had put his shield on his back now that the goblins had been dealt with. Both Rogers and Boromir were facing him with arms apart, already anticipating what the Ranger was about to do.

Aragorn picked up Sam in both his arms and threw him over the gap as hard as he could. Boromir safely caught Sam on the hobbit's downward trajectory. Aragorn then moved to do the same with Gimli but was halted when the dwarf raised his hand. "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" Gimli stated indignantly before launching himself into a mighty leap with a determined cry. Despite his pride, Gimli's leap was not strong enough to reach the other side and he landed precipitously on the edge of the gap's other side. He would have fallen to his death had not Rogers rapidly grabbed his beard. "Mind the beard!" Gimli exclaimed as it was still painful for someone to pull it even if they were dragging him to safety with it.

Gimli's crossing meant that only Frodo, Aragorn and Hulk were left to cross the gap. However as the Balrog drew closer the cavern roof shook even more violently. Hulk quickly had to drag Frodo and Aragorn back up the stairs to avoid a large boulder that fell towards where the two of them were standing. The boulder caused a large part of the stairway to collapse into the cavern. The three of them had to back up even further as more of the stairway in front of them suffered the same fate. The gap between the three of them and the rest of the Fellowship was now about twenty four feet in length. This was too long a distance for either the Man or Hobbit to jump across. But it was not too long for Hulk.

Rogers noticed that Hulk gave him a meaningful look as if to warn him about something. Hulk then grabbed and lifted Frodo under his right arm and Aragorn under his left. Frodo had never been held in his life with such strength as Hulk exhibited. Aragorn was at a loss to think what Hulk was planning to do to him and Frodo. Rogers knew though exactly what Hulk wanted to do. Rogers turned and urgently yelled at the rest of the Fellowship behind him "Go! GO"!

Seeing the Fellowship running away from him, Hulk made his move. In a powerful imitation of Rogers and Boromir's actions with Merry and Pippin, Hulk leapt across the gap while holding Frodo and Aragorn. Both of them were too shocked to scream as Hulk landed with a thud on the other side of the stairs. But as what Rogers expected Hulk was warning him about, the section of the stairway that Hulk landed on quickly crumbled from the impact. Hulk rushed forwards just keeping ahead of the parts of the stairway that crumbled in his wake. The crumbling eventually stopped but Hulk continued to rush down the stairs. He did not release Frodo or Aragorn until he reached the rest of the Fellowship whom were waiting for them on a landing at the bottom of the stairway.

Hulk let out a huge sigh seemingly satisfied that the Fellowship had safely traversed the stairway. Hulk rapidly began decreasing in size and becoming paler in colour before the astonished eyes of the original Fellowship. Soon it was Banner sitting before them wearing only the torn remains of his now ill fit jeans.

Rogers and Thor rushed up to their fellow Avenger. "How do you fare Banner?" Thor asked him.

"Just now," Banner replied between gasps "it felt like the Other Guy decided he had enough rather than leaving because I wanted him to". Looking at his damaged clothes Banner also dryly commented "If I knew what was going to happen when we though the vortex I would have bought a change of clothes". His remark made a few of the Fellowship smile despite the present danger they were in.

"Even if he isn't at your call Bruce at least Hulk came out at a time we really we needed him too" Rogers replied. He then asked Banner "Are you still ok to move"? Banner nodded.

Merry was about to ask Rogers what that the word 'ok' meant. He was prevented by a heatwave that hit the Fellowship from the right of where Bruce was facing. A deep pit bordered the landing that the Fellowship was standing on. Following the heatwave were intense flames and smoke rising from the pit below.

"We must flee now even if Bruce must run naked!" Gandalf shouted at the rest of the Fellowship who promptly obeyed his command.

Banner held the remains of his jeans as tightly as he could to cover his dignity as he joined rest of the Fellowship in running left along the landing. The landing turned a left corner into a long, wide corridor that lead to the Bridge of Khazad-dum. Gandalf stopped at the start of the corridor to let the rest of the Fellowship pass by him. Gandalf reminded Rogers of a traffic cop as he directed the Fellowship with his sword to move down the corridor quickly.

"Over the Bridge!" Gandalf exhorted to all the Fellowship members who ran past him. "Fly"!

At this moment the Fellowship heard a deep and evil roar that sounded like a raging forest fire. From the inferno arising from the pit behind them the Balrog jumped onto the landing with a thud. The twenty-foot tall Balrog amply fitted the description of 'demon' as it had a horned head, bat-like wings and a body wreathed in flames. The three Avengers joined Gandalf in looking behind at the Balrog.

Even though he was a lapsed Catholic, Banner's initial reaction to the Balrog was that the Devil himself had decided to attack the Fellowship. Despite Banner trying to summon him the 'Other Guy' did not seem interested in an encore performance. On that basis Banner thought it best to keep going to the Bridge instead. Rogers prided himself on being the good soldier so he obeyed Gandalf's command to keep running. Thor though resolved to make a stand against the Balrog.

When Thor was a small boy his favourite story was the tale about his father's defeat of the legendary fire demon Surtur. Surtur's power was monstrous even for the All-Father. It took all of Odin's strength and knowledge for him to emerge victorious from their struggle. When Thor saw the Balrog he thought Surtur had found a way to Middle-earth and was now going avenge its defeat by attacking the All-Father's firstborn. Thor moved to take a fighting stance while thinking '_May I be the equal of my father's deeds so I can protect my friends_'. However, Gandalf grabbed Thor's right arm and pushed him forwards by it.

"No Odinson!" Gandalf emphasised to Thor. "This foe is mine alone"!

The strength in his shove made Thor now think that Gandalf could not be just an old man despite looking like one. Thor had just found another similarity the Grey Wizard shared with his father.

Thor was the second last of the Fellowship to cross the Bridge of Khazad-dum. The Bridge itself was no more than about fifty feet in length and about three feet in width. It spanned a seemingly bottomless abyss. As the Bridge had no safety railing anyone who fell off it would fall to his or her doom. When he reached the other side of the Bridge, inwardly Rogers commended the dwarves for building such a brilliant chokehold to stop invaders.

Seeing that Thor had made it across to the other side, Gandalf then stopped about a third of the way along the Bridge. He turned and faced the Balrog.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf emphatically stated to the Balrog that had not yet stepped on the Bridge. The Balrog responded by standing to its full height and igniting its whole body into an inferno. The Balrog drew with its right hand a long flaming sword from under its wings.

"Gandalf!" Frodo yelled in horror at the sight before him and the rest of the Fellowship.

Gandalf held Glamdring in his right hand and his staff in his left as he blocked the Balrog's path across the Bridge. He intoned to the Balrog "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor". To Thor the way that Gandalf spoke to the Balrog sounded like he was chanting a spell. This assumption appeared to be correct when Gandalf's staff emitted a bubble of blue-white light that surrounded the wizard.

Gandalf continued to speak his defiance to the Balrog "The dark fire shall not avail you, flame of Udun"! The Balrog responded by a powerful swing of its sword down towards him. The Balrog's sword appeared to disintegrate when Gandalf blocked it with Glamdring within the bubble of light. The bubble of light dissipated from the clash of swords.

Rogers and Banner were completely dumbfounded by the unfolding duel between Gandalf and the Balrog. Even the Chitauri invasion appeared somewhat mundane to the sight before them. Thor thought the battle between the wizard and the demon was the equal of any recorded in the annals of Asgard.

Apparently enraged by the loss of its sword, the Balrog stepped forward onto the Bridge wielding a long fiery whip above its head. Gandalf remained steadfast while telling the Balrog to "Go back to the shadow"! Gandalf raised his staff and Glamdring before declaring to the demon "YOU SHALL NOT PASS"!

After he had said this, Gandalf slammed his staff down hard on the Bridge that resulted in a loud cracking noise. After giving a derisive snort at the wizard's display of power, the Balrog took another step forward. The rest of the Fellowship looked on in awe as the Bridge under the Balrog's feet crumbled and the demon plummeted into the abyss. As the Balrog fell there was now a sizeable gap between the Bridge and the corridor it was previously connected to. Gandalf gave an exhausted grunt at the Balrog's seeming demise before turning to join the rest of the Fellowship.

At this moment the tail end of the Balrog's whip snapped up and wrapped around Gandalf's right ankle dragging him down. Glamdring and his staff slipped from Gandalf's grasp into the abyss. Gandalf tried to avoid his weapons' fate by trying to hang on with his fingertips to the edge of the gap.

The Fellowship's four hobbits began rushing in Gandalf's direction to help him but were restrained by Boromir and Rogers. After seeing the power unleashed during the recent battle upon it, both men thought the Bridge might be so weakened that it would collapse even if only a hobbit stepped on it.

Gandalf gave the rest of the Fellowship a final look before he chided them "Fly you fools"! Then Gandalf lost his grip and fell into the abyss.

Frodo encapsulated the reaction of the now eleven Fellowship members with a pained scream of "NOOOOO"!

* * *

Since coming to Middle-earth Thor had taken not been too inconvenienced by the loss of Mjolnir's ability to confer flight. After seeing Gandalf fall to his death he now very much wished he still had this power. Along with Aragorn, his gaze was transfixed on the edge of the Bridge that Gandalf had clung to. Only after hearing Boromir call out their names made both of them start running towards the exit of Moria like the rest of the Fellowship.

Thor noticed arrows beginning to fly in his and Aragorn's direction. With the Balrog and Hulk out of the way, the goblins felt safe to resume their pursuit of the Fellowship. As these goblin's arrows were not a threat to him Thor placed himself between them and Aragorn.

Eventually the Fellowship exited outside of Moria onto the eastern side of the Misty Mountains. They all needed to readjust their eyes from Moria's darkness to the bright sunlight they had run into. Standing on a smooth rocky slope the Fellowship paused to catch their breaths. Rogers pulled off his mask as it had become uncomfortable and sticky due to his perspiration. As his mask came off, he felt a cool breeze come across his forehead.

Gandalf's demise was the second time that Rogers had seen a close comrade literally fall to their deaths in battle. His first was his best friend 'Bucky' Barnes who lost his grip on a HYDRA train before falling into a deep icy ravine. Although Barnes' death was nearly seventy years ago Rogers still felt the pain of it as if it happened yesterday. Rogers had known Gandalf for just under a week but for some reason his death felt almost painful as Bucky's. Rogers took the opportunity to see how other members of the Fellowship were coping with Gandalf's death.

Aragorn glumly began wiping goblin blood off his sword. Sam sat on a rock crying. Frodo had his back turned and appeared to be staring towards the southern horizon. Legolas' gaze was one of disbelief and dismay. Merry lay on his side trying to comfort Pippin who was next to him flat on his back weeping. Both Boromir and Thor had to restrain a frothing Gimli from charging back into Moria - the dwarf wanted to return there and kill more goblins in revenge for Balin and Gandalf's deaths. However Rogers' attention was most grabbed by Banner who had sat down and was staring at the ground with a guilty look on his face. Rogers walked over and crouched before him.

"Talk to me Bruce" Rogers politely ordered Banner.

Banner raised his head and Rogers noticed a tear streaming down his right cheek. Banner swallowed before slowing saying, "If I had been able to be Hulk for a more few minutes Gandalf wouldn't have had to-"

"Stop there Bruce" Rogers interrupted him in a courteous manner. Rogers drew on Agent Carter's – Peggy's – words to him when he blamed himself for Bucky's death "Gandalf was pretty clear that he was the only one that could fight that thing. He knew what he might have to do for the rest of us to get away. Allow Gandalf the dignity of his choice - he obviously thought we were worth it". Rogers thought the look now on Banner's face indicated acceptance of Peggy's wisdom.

Despite the gap Gandalf had created in the Bridge, Aragorn knew the Fellowship should not gamble on the goblins taking too long to repair it. After Aragorn had finished wiping his sword he evenly spoke to the Fellowship's Elf "Legolas. Get them up". By 'them' Legolas knew that Aragorn was referring to the hobbits.

Boromir was incensed by Aragorn's apparent insensitivity to the grief many in the Fellowship still felt. "Give them a moment for pity's sake!" the Gondorian angrily pleaded.

Aragorn waved his sword at the hills surrounding the Fellowship to emphasise the danger its members still faced. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" he responded to Boromir with raised voice.

Thor voiced his agreement with Aragorn "We are all grieving for Gandalf. But he clearly wanted us to escape from this place with haste. Let us honour his sacrifice by doing so".

Aragorn gave Thor a quick nod of appreciation before calmly continuing "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come Boromir, Steve, Legolas get them up".

Boromir's initial anger subsided, as he knew that both Aragorn and Thor were right about the threat the goblins still posed. He walked over to where Rogers and Banner were and handed the later a spare set of undergarments he was carrying in his pack.

"I know its not much to cover yourself with at the moment Bruce" Boromir said. "But as you heard we need to move from here quickly". Banner took Boromir's gracious offer with a softly whispered "Thanks".

As the Fellowship began to move down the mountain slopes Thor, Gimli and Legolas were too pained to tell each other the number of goblins they had each respectively killed.

* * *

**This has been the longest and most complex chapter of the story I have had to write to date. I hope the Hulk's first full appearance was worth the wait. Be assured it will not be his last in Middle-earth.**

**Some readers might be disappointed that Hulk and the Balrog did not go toe to toe. The scenarios I tried to include this duel in all ended up seeming too contrived (although I agree such a fight would be a grand cinematic spectacle). Further, while this story is a Crossover, it is not intended to be a radical re-write of Lord of the Rings Movie or Book canon. Gandalf's fall in Moria to my mind is a key part of this canon.**


	10. Reading Minds

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

30/12/2012

This will probably be the last chapter for 2012 so Happy New Year to all of you.

My father and I saw the first part of _The Hobbit_ last night. Yes, it wasn't the same as the book but that did not detract it from being a very good film in my opinion. Any movie adaptation of literature invariably involves a compromise of remaining true to the source while still having to be entertaining. It's a bit like fan fiction crossovers I suppose.

**Straight Edghe**: I think Gimli in some way reminds Thor of Volstagg. Boromir connects with Rogers not just because he is a professional soldier. I also think Captain America's idealism would make him sound similar to Faramir.

**VexMaster:** As I am following movie-verse I thought Gandalf's fall would have unfortunately brought back a whole lot of painful memories for Steve.

**CoCoVita**: In answer to your question probably not for the reasons I outlined in this story's introduction.

**Cretha Loesing:** Under normal circumstances you would be right about Thor. I think his recent visits to Midgard and hanging with the other Avengers may have expanded his vocabulary somewhat ;)

**JannaKalderash:** Thank you for your compliment. Don't worry about what is happening on Earth & Asgard – all shall be revealed in due course.

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Reading Minds**

The Fellowship eventually left the slopes of the Misty Mountains and reached a meadow by late afternoon. The meadow separated them from the forest known as Lothlorien that was to the east by a few hundred yards.

At Aragorn's urging the Fellowship ran across the meadow. Aragorn knew that many of the Fellowship were already near exhaustion but it was imperative they reached the safety of Lothlorien before nightfall. 'Safety' was a relative term in this sense. The Elves that ruled Lothlorien or otherwise called Galadhrim were not evil. But they jealously guarded their borders, treating with suspicion any other of the Free Peoples that entered their realm without their leave. Servants of Sauron they simply killed on sight. Aragorn hoped the Fellowship would encounter a group of Galadhrim sentries that would allow them to stay in the woods at least for tonight.

The Fellowship stopped running as soon as they crossed Lothlorien's borders. Banner remembered that Legolas called the forest they were now in as the 'Golden Wood'. Looking at the trees around him he thought this was an apt description. The majority of Lothlorien's forest population appeared to be tall trees with silver-grey trunks and branches on which grew bright gold leaves. These trees reminded Banner of birch trees and that given the colour of their leaves then maybe it was autumn in Middle-earth. As he ran his hand over one of the tree's trunks he was surprised at how smooth it felt.

Legolas, who had noticed Banner's action, interrupted his thoughts "They are called Mallorn-trees Bruce". Banner looked at Legolas who was holding a green coloured cloak towards him. "You wear my cloak as I do not currently need it" Legolas said referring to the cloak that Banner accepted with gratitude. As Banner put it on the Prince of Mirkwood turned his eyes to the forest surrounding the Fellowship. "The leaves of Mallorn-trees remain on them during winter, only falling to the ground in spring when new leaves sprout". _What sort of photosynthesis do these 'Mallorn' trees have that allows them to do that?_ Banner thought in response.

For Gimli now was not the time to gaze at trees. As he had lived underground most of his life, to him trees were trees. 'Lothlorien' was a name that made even the stoutest of dwarven warriors' exchange nervous glances. Lothlorien was well known to be an elven realm that dwarves should avoid given the animosity that existed between their two races. Lothlorien was rumoured was ruled by the most powerful Elven Queen in existence. Remembering what his forebears had said about the magic that she could supposedly wield, Gimli doubted even his trusted battle-axes would give him much protection from her.

"Stay close Master Banner and young hobbits" Gimli said as hurriedly waved those respective Fellowship members to him. When Banner and the hobbits were close by him, Gimli began to quietly recall to them the stories he had heard of Lothlorien. "They say there's a great sorceress that lives in these woods" Gimli told them. "An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again".

Banner thought if Gimli was trying to make the hobbits and him nervous he was doing a pretty good job of it. Having seen the Ring as well as Gandalf and the Balrog in action he could not simply dismiss claims of 'magic' in Middle-earth as being unscientifically based. He thought the reason that Frodo had suddenly halted with his eyes darting around was because of the threat this 'Elf-witch' appeared to present.

Banner suddenly halted as he heard a warning in his head_ Beware of the Ring, Bruce Banner - it still seeks to unleash the Other's dark side_. For a moment Banner wondered if the Ring had re-commenced its temptation of him but quickly dismissed it. Given the Ring's nature Banner doubted it would now warn him away from itself. Besides the voice he had just heard was distinctly feminine that was both authoritative and caring. Assuming it was a lady who projected this voice, she could obviously read minds also as she had referred to the 'Other Guy'. That she communicated in a way that Hulk did not seem to find threatening also indicated she was very wise. Banner gasped as an image of one of the most beautiful but probing pair of blue eyes he had ever seen popped in his mind as the lady spoke again. _Should the Ring do so there shall be no going back for either of you._

Given his elven hearing Legolas was not oblivious of Gimli's comments to other members of the Fellowship. Although the initial hostility between him and Gimli had greatly lessened, he could not stand for the Dwarf's defamation of the Lady of Lothlorien. The Lady was revered among all the Eldar in Middle-earth. As he was about to tell off Gimli, Banner spoke aloud.

"I think I just heard her voice in my head" a slightly nervous Banner advised the Fellowship.

"So did I" Frodo quickly added.

Feeling that his forebears' suspicions had been justified, Gimli proudly proclaimed to the rest of the Fellowship "Well here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the eyes of a fox"!

Gimli suddenly halted as soon as he said these words. He had not halted because he heard the same voice in his head that Frodo and Banner had. It was because he was taken by surprise by three bows each with arrows aimed only inches away from his face.

Each Fellowship member now had at least one arrow pointed at them by one of the company of two dozen Galadhrim sentries that had surrounded them. A number of the Fellowship's warriors cursed themselves for being taken so unaware. Aragorn looked over his shoulder to see Thor and Rogers were about to do battle with the company. "_Hold!_" he shouted at the pair somewhat in panic. Fortunately both Avengers heard and obeyed the Ranger before they could attack. The last thing Aragorn wanted was any provocation from the Fellowship that would justify the sentries releasing their arrows.

The sentries did not know that Aragorn was trying to protect them from harm also. Galadhrim Warriors with their superb equipment and centuries of training and experience were considered among the elite of the militaries that could be fielded by the Free Peoples. But having seen these Avengers in action, Aragorn thought the three of them could take down a number of these sentries without breaking sweat. If Hulk made an appearance, well…Aragorn doubted the whole Galadhrim Warrior Host would fare better against the green monster than Moria's goblins. Later he wondered what these Galadhrim would consider the bigger insult - being compared to goblins or being told there was a foe even they could not kill.

Seeing that Aragorn had taken over leadership of the Fellowship since Gandalf's fall, Thor had no hesitation obeying him. Especially as Aragorn was similar to him in the sense that he had royal blood in his veins. Nonetheless Thor still kept a tight grip on Mjolnir. If any of these elves so much as thought of releasing their arrows he would have no hesitation in sending all of them to Valhalla. Looking at their refined features and long blond hair these elves reminded Thor of the Light Elves of Alfheim who were said to be, according to Norse mythology, "fairer than the sun to look at". Thor wondered if the grey cloaks worn by the elves before him allowed them to remain hidden until the moment they wanted to be seen.

The leader of these sentries, a tall blond male elf stepped forward and remarked to Aragorn "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark". Gimli growled at the leader's reference to him. Inwardly Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief because he immediately recognised the leader as Haldir, the Marchwarden of Lorien. He had met Haldir years before during his travels through Middle-earth. Aragorn gave the high ranking Galadhrim a short, respectful bow before conversing with him in Sindarin.

Rogers was standing next to Boromir while both Aragorn and Haldir spoke. While he could hear them he was unfamiliar with the language they were speaking in. Maybe he was just hearing things but the language sounded similar to the one that Gandalf used to open the Doors of Durin.

"Are the two them speaking in Elvish?" Rogers asked Boromir as a whisper.

"Yes" Boromir whispered back. "It's a tongue of Elvish called 'Sindarin' although I am not as skilled in its use as Aragorn is. All I heard is that the name of the Elf he is talking to is Haldir".

Gimli did not like how Haldir had spoken to him and liked the Galadhrim arrows being pointed at him even less. As a dwarf he did not want to be at the enigmatic mercies of powerful and well-armed elves. At least he knew where he stood with the goblins.

"Aragorn," he blurted out "these woods are perilous! We should go back"!

"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood" Haldir responded to Gimli in a tone that would brook no argument. "You cannot go back".

Rogers noticed that Haldir next looked at Frodo before saying to the whole Fellowship "Come. She is waiting".

* * *

The Fellowship had to spend the night on a platform that the Galadhrim had built high on a Mallorn-tree. Legolas told the Avengers that Galadhrim settlements were based around these platforms or 'Telains' on which they built all types of dwellings. Aragorn introduced the members of the original fellowship while he allowed Rogers to introduce the Avengers. Aside from an insult from Gimli to Haldir that nearly caused hostilities to resume between the Galadhrim and the Fellowship, the night on the Telain passed uneventfully.

Haldir and the Galadhrim woke the Fellowship at dawn so they could reach their destination in Lothlorien by sunset. The Fellowship and their Galadhrim escort reached a high ridge by late afternoon where they were met by two other Galadhrim sentries. Looking east from the ridge, the Fellowship could see a misty valley that led to a great rising glade of trees. Banner thought it might be a trick of the dying daylight reflecting off the mist but he was sure that rays of light appeared to radiate from the glade.

"Behold Caras Galadhon" Haldir announced to the Fellowship. "The heart of Elvendom in Middle-earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, Lady of Light".

One of the two Galadhrim spoke to Haldir before handing him what looked to be a leather sack with a silk bag tie dark brown in colour. Haldir handed the sack over to Banner telling him politely "I suspect its no fault of your own but you must understand Master Banner that you cannot stand in the presence of the Lord and Lady dressed as you are". Banner did not have the energy to give Haldir the complex explanation of why his current state of underdress was at least partly 'his fault'. Instead he thanked the Marchwarden and started dressing himself in the clothes that were in the sack.

As Banner dressed, Haldir spoke with the two sentries further while the rest of the Fellowship members quickly conversed amongst themselves. Since joining the Fellowship, the three Avengers had found that Pippin was always willing to have a friendly chat and his light heartedness kept the spirits of the Fellowship high. However, since leaving Moria he had come quite sullen and withdrawn. Of course Gandalf's death was the main reason but Thor suspected another was still at play. He walked over to where Pippin was. The tallest member of the Fellowship crouched down and spoke to the shortest.

"Master Took do not keep blaming yourself for what happened in Moria" Thor quietly but gently urged Pippin. "To my mind, for such a multitude of goblins to have found us so quickly shows they were shadowing us for some time. Certainly well before that skeleton fell down the well". He then put a hand on Pippin's shoulder "I won't lie to you Pippin and say your actions had no role in drawing them to the Chamber. But those actions also spurred the goblins to openly attack us. You may well have saved the whole Fellowship from walking unawares into a ambush that could have killed us all".

Before Pippin could respond he and the whole Fellowship was interrupted by Banner who asked them "Well what does everyone think"?

Banner had finished dressing in the clothes Haldir had provided him. Banner was wearing a dark green tunic shirt with gold buttons at the collar. On the front of the shirt was a pattern of swirling golden vines. He wore dark brown trousers and a pair of leather shoes similar to the ones worn by Legolas.

"The shirt looks real nice Bruce" Rogers complimented him.

"And its _really_ comfortable" Banner replied.

"That should be no surprise Master Banner" Legolas advised him. "The tunic you wear is crafted from the finest threads of spider silk". Banner was interested by this information. The silk produced by Earth spiders was well known to be incredibly strong and flexible with some being five times stronger than an equal mass of steel. But currently it was too hard to harvest silk from spiders as the silk from silkworms could be. Banner wondered what types of spiders existed in Middle-earth to allow the elves to extract such a wonderful material.

Pippin then spoke for the first time since the Fellowship had left Moria "Given its colour I am sure the 'Other Guy' would approve as well Bruce". Haldir and the rest of the Galadhrim present were at a loss to understand why the Halfling's strange remark would cause the rest of the Fellowship to laugh.

Thor was glad that the real Pippin had returned to the Fellowship.

* * *

The Fellowship finally entered Caras Galadhon by early evening. Haldir led them up a wooden staircase that winded around the tallest and largest Mallorn-tree within the glade. They finally reached the bottom of a large Telain that at the top of a flight of stairs rested a grand wooden house that was illuminated by silvery lights. Haldir stood to the right of the Fellowship as Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel began descending the stairs. At first the Lord and Lady's features were hard to discern due to the light cast around the pair. But the Avengers were just as opened mouthed as Pippin and Merry when the pair were finally revealed.

The couple appeared to be of equal height, each being about six feet. Seemingly like all male Galadhrim, Celeborn had long blond hair and wore a robe of silver and grey. He possessed a regal look and demeanour fitting for his position as the Lord of Lothlorien. But it was Galadriel that truly captured the attention of the three Avengers. She wore a long white dress that reached her ankles and a golden circlet was on her head. Her long golden tresses that fell all the way to her lower back complemented her flawless white-skinned complexion. Seeing Galadriel's blue eyes confirmed to Banner that it was indeed her who telepathically spoke to him yesterday. Rogers was simply staggered that Galadriel was over 8,000 years old like Legolas and Aragorn had told the rest of the Fellowship. _She certainly puts my 70 years under ice to shame_ he thought.

"Eleven there are here, yet nine there were, set out from Rivendell" Celeborn observed to the Fellowship. "Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak to him".

Galadriel saw in Aragorn's eyes the answer to her husband's question and sorrowfully remarked "He has fallen into shadow". She then turned her gaze to Gimli who was staring face down and told him "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli, son of Gloin. For the world has grown full of peril". Gimli looked up, aghast that the first words the Elf Queen chose to speak to a dwarf were those offering comfort.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Celeborn asked as a result of his consort's revelation. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost".

"Mithrandir's loss is a grievous one Milord" Galadriel confirmed before looking at each of the three Avengers. "But we are indeed fortunate that three strangers from worlds unheard have come to the aid of the Free Peoples".

Thor locked eyes with Galadriel and heard her voice in his head. _Your greatest service to the Free Peoples will not come through any of your weapon's powers Thor Odinson_. Thor was puzzled by what Galadriel had just told him but he still respectfully acknowledged her advice with a subtle nod.

Galadriel then spoke to the whole Fellowship "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all". Rogers noticed that Galadriel appeared to be exchanging glances with Boromir who stood to the left of him. After a short while, his friend quietly gasped and turned his gaze away. Galadriel returned her focus to the whole Fellowship by qualifying her previous remark "But hope remains while the company is true".

After a pause, the Lady of the Golden Wood gently advised the Fellowship "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace".

* * *

The Galadhrim had set up a pavilion festooned with many different sized cushions and mattresses for the Fellowship to rest on. They had also supplied quite a nourishing banquet for them to eat as well. Many of the Fellowship accepted the gracious offer of the Galadhrim to do their laundry. The Elves also supplied them with silk tunics to wear while this was done. Thor was now just outfitted with the black shirt and trousers he wore under his armour and cloak. He had politely declined the Galadhrim's offer to wash both these items, telling them they were self-cleaning. From what they understood Thor had told them, the Elves who did the Fellowship's laundry discussed among themselves what could be the properties of the dye that allowed his clothing to perform such a miracle. None of them had heard of this dye that was apparently called 'Nanobots'.

The still and clear evening in Caras Galadhon was pierced by the sound of an elven choral ensemble. The vast majority of the Fellowship could not understand the verses of what the elves were singing only that it sounded both beautiful and melancholic.

Legolas who was standing while holding a pitcher of wine looked up to see what Telain the ensemble was on. "A lament for Gandalf" he pensively told the Fellowship members around him.

As he set up his bed Merry asked Legolas "What do they say about him"?

Legolas turned his gaze to Merry before sorrowfully replying "I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near".

Banner noted the Elf's remark and returned to reading the small, leather-bound book in his hands. If he had even the tiniest doubt that Galadriel was a powerful telepath, it was erased by the content of the book that had been loaned to him from Celeborn's library. It described the various types of metals found within Middle-earth. The Elf who gave him the book said it was written in the 'Common Tongue' which, in Middle-earth, would appear to be what they called English. Banner was interrupted by Thor who sat next to him on a cushion as he was.

"Bruce have you had any more thought on the vortex's affect on our powers?" Thor asked him.

Looking up from his book Banner said with self-deprecation "Well let's assume for the sake of argument that neither of us are still blaming ourselves for Gandalf's death".

Thor gave a wry half grin in response before Banner continued "It's pretty obvious that I still can't bring out Hulk like I used to and a lot Mjolnir's powers are still locked down. Having said that, while Hulk was out in Moria I also began to feel his full strength returning". After a moment Banner theorised to Thor "I am willing to go on a limb and say the vortex's impact on our powers is not a permanent one".

"From what you tell I would concur that is a valid observation" Thor conceded. He then asked Banner "Why then would Steve's abilities seem to remain unaffected"?

"Look, this is weak supposition at the very best" Banner qualified. "From my research, Project Rebirth gave Steve his abilities by a successful form of genetic engineering that no-one has been able to replicate. From what you tell me a lot of your powers are drawn from energies stored within Mjolnir. Likewise while Hulk is part of my genetic code he is still very much the result of an accident involving gamma radiation.

"Unlike Steve, both of us have powers based on various types of energy. My guess is that the vortex disrupts energy somehow and consequently temporarily diminishes powers based on it".

Thor and Banner paused for a moment to listen to the singing of the unseen elven choir.

"Let us hope you are right about the loss of some of our powers being temporary" Thor remarked. "With the loss of the Grey Wizard, I suspect we might be needing them more urgently than I had thought".

* * *

Rogers and Boromir sat close together separate from the rest of the Fellowship. Rogers sat down on a Mallorn root looking into a small mirror the Galadhrim provided him. The mirror was resting on the ground at an angle to his face. He dipped his pocketknife in a copper bowl full of soapy water before looking into the mirror as he applied it to his facial stubble. The rest in Lothlorien allowed him to have his first wash and proper shave since coming to Middle-earth. He still had to be careful as he used his knife as a razor though. Unfortunately the Galadhrim did not have any razors of their own as unwanted facial hair did not seem to be a problem for its male population. Satisfied he had done the best job he could under the circumstances Rogers began drying his face with a provided towel before looking over to his right at Boromir.

Boromir appeared downcast as he sat on the grass with his right arm resting on his upright bent right knee. "Are you alright Boromir?" Rogers quietly asked him. Boromir looked up in response before turning to see over his left shoulder if there were any other members of Fellowship close by. Obviously what Boromir wanted to tell him was private, so Rogers got up from where he was and sat next to Boromir.

Boromir resumed to stare at the ground before speaking to Rogers. "When we were standing before her, I heard the Lady's voice in my head" he explained softly. "She spoke to me of my father and the fall of Gondor. She said to me, 'Even now there is hope left'. I know what you told me earlier Steve, but it is a long time since Gondor has had any hope".

Rogers did not know what to say in response to his friend's heartfelt monologue. He thought it best to just continue to listen. Boromir explained "My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing and…and our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right and I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored".

Rogers was about to reply to Boromir that he was being greatly unfair to himself. Even a man as great as him could not carry the whole burden of his country's fortunes in its war. During World War Two, the military leaders of the United States did not expect Captain America to win the War by himself. Nor did Rogers place that burden on himself. Before he could tell this to Boromir, the Gondorian turned to Rogers with a surprising bright-eyed gleam in his eyes.

"Steve, I very much hope the opportunity arises for me to take you to my city of Minas Tirith" Boromir said with quiet enthusiasm. "If only so you can judge if its splendours are the equal of those you have told me of your New York".

"I lost a wager with my superior not long ago when I told him that nothing could surprise me any more" Rogers replied. "I will just take your word for it Boromir".

Boromir smiled before continuing "You should see the White Tower of Ecthelion, Steve! It glimmers like a spike of pearl and silver with its banners caught high in the morning breeze".

Unbeknown to Boromir and Rogers, Aragorn stood a few paces behind them. He had gone to check on both soldiers' welfare but stopped when he heard all their conversation from when Boromir told Rogers about the health of the Steward.

Boromir gave Rogers' right shoulder a firm but friendly grasp with his left hand before stating "I hope, no believe, that the Fellowship's path will lead us to Minas Tirith. Then Steve you will hear with your own ears its Tower Guard take up the call 'The Lords of Gondor have returned'"!

Aragorn cast a quick downward glance as he pondered Boromir's overheard words. He then turned and moved to rejoin the rest of the Fellowship leaving Rogers and Boromir undisturbed.

* * *

**Essentially this chapter has been about the Fellowship catching its breath and its members separately confiding their current thoughts, hopes and fears. In the next chapter one Avenger will have the magnitude of Galadriel's power and wisdom confirmed when he looks into her Mirror. As Galadriel is pretty selective who looks into her Mirror I am still figuring out which Avenger she will choose. More importantly what they will see in the Mirror when they look into it.**


	11. Moments of Reflection

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

03/01/2013

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2013 brings you all good health and happiness.

This will be a dialogue and reflection heavy chapter but I hope you shall find it worth persisting with.

**gunman**: I am glad you picked up Bruce's almost blissful ignorance about Middle-earth arachnids. If Legolas told him about Mirkwood Spiders, Bruce would agree that you would be lucky to walk away from them with your life let alone their silk. Of course that's still saying nothing of Shelob…

**Lupin2020:** As I said earlier, my highest priority in this story is making the interactions between the characters strong and believable. Your comment gives me reassurance that I am doing a reasonable job of this.

**johncorn**: To my mind, the key to Loki's redemption is he sincerely acknowledging his actions were wrong. Given the God of Mischief's hubris and immortality I am not confident this will be happening too soon.

**ZoeMehefin**: I am having too much fun with this not to complete it.

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Moments of Reflection**

Lying on the grass resting on a pillow and mattress, Rogers woke from the peaceful sleep he was having. Given the level of darkness around him, Rogers guessed it was night still. Suddenly a pair of delicate, porcelain coloured feet silently walked past him. He lifted himself up to see whose feet they were. They belonged to Galadriel who had her back to him as she walked between the rest of the sleeping Fellowship. Grabbing his arm, Rogers knew he was not dreaming but wondered how Galadriel had not woken any other Fellowship members from their slumber. A few yards to Rogers right Galadriel halted and then looked over her right shoulder at him. The Lady of the Golden Wood did not have to speak any words for Rogers to know she wanted him to follow her. Getting up, Rogers began to cautiously follow Galadriel who began leading him away from the Fellowship.

Eventually Rogers found Galadriel in a small garden that was accessed by a short narrow stone staircase. Rogers wondered how she got there so fast despite walking in front of him at a gentle pace. _Was the Lady already here and she just projected an image in my mind so I could find my way here_?

Galadriel was filling a golden pitcher with water from a small fountain before pouring it into a wide golden bowl that rested on a stone pedestal carved as a twisting tree trunk. Rogers thought it best to have at least a couple of yards distance between him and the Lady. Galadriel placed the pitcher back near the fountain before eventually looking at Rogers from where she stood directly behind the pedestal.

Prior to joining the US Army, Rogers was a Fine Arts student, choosing to specialise in illustration. Rogers doubted that any of the greatest artists from human history could capture the gentle but powerful aura that currently surrounded Galadriel. The enigmatic smile she gave him reminded him of the one in the Mona Lisa.

_I am greatly honoured by your comparisons Steven Rogers_.

Rogers stepped a pace backward at the sound of the voice in his head. Obviously Galadriel could pick up even the most casual of thoughts. Rogers now sort of understood why Boromir was so unsettled by Galadriel's powers of mental communication.

"I mean you no harm" she gently assured Rogers in spoken voice. She then quickly glanced at the bowl before returning her gaze to him. "Will you look into the Mirror?" Galadriel asked Rogers.

Now knowing what it was called, Rogers focused on the Mirror and asked "I'm sorry Ma'am but what is it"?

"The Mirror reveals many things" Galadriel informed him. "Yet what it shows is different for each person. Even the wisest cannot tell what that person may see".

_I guess this lady is not much into giving straight answers_ Rogers thought. He quickly realised he had forgotten that Galadriel could read his mind like an open book. Fortunately the smile she gave Rogers indicated she was not offended by his observation.

Rogers walked the couple of yards that separated him from the Mirror and looked into it. At first he saw just his own reflection before the surface of the water turned black with a series of ripples from its centre. Rogers was stunned by the silent images the Mirror showed him.

He saw countless armoured corpses of men, elves, dwarves and hobbits. They and their broken horses, weapons and banners were scattered across the surface of a blackened battlefield. The sky above it was an evil fiery red in colour. The Mirror drew Roger's gaze towards individual corpses. He saw the bodies of members of the Fellowship – Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, even Merry and Pippin. The Mirror then moved his perspective. Facing him was an impossibly vast horde of orcs and trolls (even more fearsome than the one in Moria) that exalted in triumph. In the sky above the horde Rogers saw a number flying black dragons on which sat black cloaked riders. These dragons and their riders flew beneath a huge orange cat's eye wreathed in flame that hanged in the sky like some evil sun. _Are these the Black Riders and the Eye of Sauron that Sam and Boromir respectively referred to?_ Rogers thought. While all of this was troubling enough it was what he next saw that really disturbed him. Hulk stood at the front of the horde but instead of being green, his colour was now a glowing, evil black. Rogers saw Hulk wearing the One Ring on one of his fingers and lying at his feet were the bodies of Thor…and Himself!

Rogers remembered the new genre of horror movies that had commenced a few years before the war. He was never a fan, but he doubted the 'best' of them could make him as scared as what the Mirror was showing him. But unfortunately for Rogers, the credits were not yet rolling on the Mirror's horror movie.

The Mirror then rapidly moved to another reddened sky under which stood the charred and burning remains of a great city. It was the New York in which he currently resided! Millions of burnt and bleeding bodies chocked the streets. He noticed that the SHIELD Heli-Carrier had crashed onto the ground. The Mirror dragged him through its wreckage and he saw all its crew was dead, including Director Fury whose body was slumped forward over a bit of railing on the bridge. The Mirror finally brought him to the ruins of Stark Tower that had been toppled to the ground. In the ruins he saw the bodies of the Avengers who had not fallen through the vortex into Middle-earth – Iron Man (his helmet's visor ripped off), Black Widow and Hawkeye. He saw a monstrous, golden armoured being staring at the dead Avengers. This being looked up and Rogers saw its skin was purple in colour and it had powerful, heavy facial features. The being appeared to lock gazes with Rogers with its piercing blue eyes before giving him an evil grin.

The Mirror then went black before Rogers saw his own reflection again.

* * *

Rogers stepped back from the Mirror, gasping and perspiring by what he saw. He thought all his previous nightmares (and his service in the War had generated many) combined could not have generated the fear he now felt. He looked up to Galadriel who had a neutral gaze fixed on him.

"What was all that?" Rogers blurted out to her. Given Galadriel could read his mind, she must have known what he had just seen in the Mirror.

"I hoped the Mirror may have revealed the reason why you and your fellow Avengers have been brought to Middle-earth" Galadriel calmly answered.

Rogers was perplexed by Galadriel's answer and her demeanour in light of what the Mirror showed him. "I don't mean to correct you Ma'am," Rogers replied, politely as he could considering how he currently felt, "but the three of us came here due to a vortex caused by the Bifrost somehow".

"Great events are not set in motion by mere chance, Steven Rogers" Galadriel told him in a manner of a mother teaching her young child about the alphabet. "They are often the result of the will of great powers beyond any of our understanding. These power's actions can be so subtle as to go unnoticed long after they have taken place." Rogers then heard Galadriel telepathically speak him. _As a man of faith you should know this._

To Rogers, questions of predestination were one thing but Galadriel had not really answered what the Mirror had revealed to him. "But those images I saw in the Mirror" he said to force the issue. "Middle-earth and New York destroyed, the millions of bodies, members of the Fellowship and Avengers dead, the black Hulk and that other evil being. What were they"?

"They are images of events that have a very real chance of coming to pass" Rogers detected an undercurrent of grave concern in Galadriel's reply.

"You mean the future"?

Galadriel simply gave him a nod in return. Rogers sensed that the Lady of Lothlorien was not cryptic for the purpose of driving people to exasperation. Galadriel's powers seemed to be balanced by her being restrained somehow in what she could exactly tell people. Rogers thought he could at least get her to revel how he could prevent the future he saw in the Mirror from happening.

"Ma'am I know you can read my mind" Rogers stated plainly. "So you know that I believe a person's future is not set as long as they are willing to fight for it".

"And it is well you hold to that belief Captain America" Galadriel replied as she well knew what Rogers was trying to get out of her. "In the end it may be the only thing that saves both our worlds".

"Given what I saw about Hulk shouldn't Bruce see this as well?" he asked.

"Even I cannot foresee how Master Banner would respond to the images you saw" Galadriel answered before giving Rogers a tiny smile. "Given his Other's temperament, I think you will agree it wise that Master Banner should not risk looking into the Mirror - if only for his own safety and the safety of all Caras Galadhon".

Rogers couldn't help but give a tiny smile of his own in response to Galadriel's 'joke'. He then asked her "Should I also not tell him"?

Galadriel's smile widened a bit further. "Before he fell, Gandalf tasked both Aragorn and yourself to take over leadership of the Fellowship" she answered. "I think one of Mithrandir's reasons was because you understand Master Banner better than anyone else in Middle-earth. Yes, even including Odinson".

Rogers sensed Galadriel was about to bring their private audience to an end.

"The Fellowship shall be departing Caras Galadhon very soon" she stated before politely dismissing Rogers. "Many trials are ahead of you Steven Rogers. Go back and rest so you may have the strength to face them".

At the end of a meeting with a civilian leader, Rogers normally snapped to attention as a sign of respect. In this case though, he thought it best to copy Aragorn and he gave Galadriel a short bow before he turned his back on her.

As he walked back to the Fellowship's Pavilion pondered what he had observed of Galadriel. People were usually in awe of Captain America's superhuman physiology. But as far as Rogers was concerned, in many ways his abilities seemed insignificant next to Galadriel's power to read minds and possibly control people's thoughts. Her power was all the stronger because it was combined with wisdom gained over millennia.

For a brief moment Rogers wondered what it would be like if he could read minds like Galadriel. _Well,_ _maybe young women would not be as much of a mystery to me_ he wryly thought. He halted as soon as he heard Galadriel give a soft, gentle but melodious laugh somewhere behind him.

_Way to go Captain America!_ Rogers berated himself. _That was a real smart thing to think of in the presence of a 8,000 year old lady who is a powerful mind reader!_

* * *

The region of Isengard bordered the southern end of the Misty Mountains. The heart of Isengard was an old fortification of Gondor called the Orthanc. Orthanc consisted of a ringed stone wall that had a gatehouse on its southern part. The ringed wall was about a mile in diameter, being some fifteen feet tall and many feet thick. In the centre of the area that the wall surrounded was the Tower of Orthanc. Being five hundred feet high, the Tower soared above the ringed wall. It was constructed out of a type of obsidian rock that was near indestructible. At the pinnacle of the Tower, four rock piers had been honed into individual horns that surrounded a platform. Orthanc was nestled in a valley called Nan Curunir or Wizard's Vale. The valley had an appropriate name given who was the current ruler of Orthanc.

Over 2,000 years ago, Saruman, the White Wizard was the first of the Istari to arrive in Middle-earth from Valinor. Sent by the Valar, Arda's powerful angelic guardians, the Istari were meant to guide the Free Peoples in their struggle against Sauron during the Third Age. Since his arrival in Middle-earth, Saruman was recognised as the most powerful of the Istari and was the Chief of the Order. Due in large part to his status, Saruman was given custody of Orthanc by the then Steward of Gondor some three hundred years before the present day.

Within Orthanc's ringed wall used to be a great garden containing trees from all parts of Middle-earth. Now this, and much vegetation from Nan Curunir, had been chopped or burned down by orc labourers on Saruman's orders. Within the perimeter of Orthanc, its black surface was dotted with wooden headframes, pulleys and scaffolding. The orc labourers had dug out large underground caverns where forges fuelled by fallen trees produced steel weapons and armour day and night at a rapid rate. These forge's smoke rose through the caverns and out though the surface of Orthanc. It was within these caverns that Saruman stood on a platform looking down on what he considered to be his greatest creation.

Giving him their full attention was all but one of the first two hundred of a new breed of orcs that Saruman had created. Standing between 6'4" and 6'7" they were much taller than the common breed of Mordor orc as well as being much stronger. Saruman had dubbed this new breed of orc the 'Uruk-hai' and he reflected on the events leading to their creation.

The longer Saruman had resided in Middle-earth, the more he grew to disdain his original purpose of aiding the Free Peoples. Hobbits and Dwarves were too small-minded and pedantic to influence the course of great events. The power of the Elves was rapidly diminishing as more of them began to return to the Undying Lands. That left the Race of Men who were supposedly destined to rule Middle-earth into its Fourth Age. Having observed them for more than two millennia, Saruman scorned the idea that Men had the strength to do this. Generation after generation, Men were driven by petty desires and passions influenced by the fear of death their short lifespan gave them. The Valar had become so isolated from Middle-earth that they failed to see the true nature of the Free Peoples. Saruman believed that for Middle-earth to reach its full potential, it did not need guidance. It needed to be ruled – with him as its master.

It was for this reason that Saruman set himself in opposition to the Free Peoples. He had openly declared himself the lord and master of Orthanc, betraying Gondor's original trust in him. He had entered into (to his mind) an alliance of convenience with Sauron to crush whatever pitiful resistance the Free Peoples could mount. The Uruk-hai had been created to assist his plans. The first two hundred of them were only a small proportion of the thousands that Saruman planned to create from the Uruk pits located within Orthanc's caverns. He was confident that the arms and armour his forges were producing would be, on average, of a much superior quality to the equipment of the Free Peoples and Mordor. But to gain dominion over Middle-earth, Saruman knew he needed more than a multitude of well-equipped Uruk-hai. He needed the power of the One Ring.

His former friend and fellow Istari, Gandalf the Grey, refused to tell him the location of the Ring. It offended Saruman's pride and twisted sense of rightness that such an insignificant creature as a hobbit should be its current owner! Through his crebain spies he found out Gandalf led a Fellowship of eight representatives of the Free People southwards from Rivendell. Given that the Fellowship contained four hobbits, Saruman had no doubt that one of them had to be the Ring-bearer. Although he knew about the Fellowship he was still unsure to what purpose Gandalf had for the Ring. Using foul magic, Saruman had been able to drive the Fellowship into Moria where he hoped the goblins or Balrog would kill them all. The latest reports from his crebain indicated that the Fellowship had survived Moria and fled into Lothlorien. It would appear that Gandalf was no longer in their number but he was surprised to have been told that the Fellowship had three new members.

His crebain described three men dressed in a manner he was unaware of. As his crebain could not penetrate the veil around Caras Galadhon, Saruman had to resort to more drastic measures to get the information he needed. Exerting a great amount of his power to prevent discovery by Sauron, Saruman saw through his palantir (or 'seeing stone') the battle within the Chamber of Mazarbul. Two of the three men were tall and used powerful weapons with a strength and agility well above even the greatest of Men. But it was the remaining man of the three that Saruman was most interested in. Despite being only of average height, the man possessed an ability to transform into a green skinned monster of limitless strength, incapable of being harmed by normal weapons.

Saruman thought his Uruk-hai were an accomplishment worthy of his talents. But this short man might hold the key to a quantum leap in knowledge. If the short man was like most Men that Saruman had encountered, perhaps if he was offered the right reward he would reveal his secret and even swear to Isengard's service. If not, Saruman was confident his methods of experimentation would deliver the result he required. With the One Ring and an army of Uruk-hai possessed with the short man's ability, even Sauron would pose little threat to his ambitions. Saruman thought that with such power at his disposal, perhaps he could even challenge the Valar for the rule of all Arda.

Saruman brought himself out of his dizzy dreams of conquest. He knew that the Fellowship had to leave Lothlorien soon as the Lady Galadriel would not want to risk being tempted by the One Ring for too long a period. He spoke his first ever orders to a group of Uruk-hai.

"Hunt them down!" Saruman said referring to the Fellowship. "Do not stop until they are found"! He exhorted the Uruks before him even further "You do not know pain. You do not know fear. You will taste man-flesh"! The Uruk-hai before him raised their weapons and shields and roared their approval of their master's orders.

Saruman then turned to his right where the one remaining Uruk-hai of the initial two hundred stood with him on the platform. The Uruk was the first created within the caverns of Orthanc. It was also still the strongest, cleverest and most savage Uruk so far created. It had messy shoulder length black hair and on its face was a painted white hand that one of its fellow Uruks had pressed there (Saruman had adopted a White Hand to be the emblem of his Isengard). Saruman had dubbed the Uruk 'Lurtz' and had given him the command of this force of Uruk-hai.

"One of the halflings carries something of great value to me" Saruman privately told Lurtz. "The shortest Man I would also like to question". Just to be sure that Lurtz understood, Saruman told him with quiet but menacing authority "Bring them to me alive and unspoiled". Lurtz gave a restrained snarl to indicate his understanding but also his disappointment that prisoners were to be taken. Saruman placated him by then simply saying, "Kill the others"!

From his balcony on the southern face of the Tower of Orthanc, Saruman watched Lurtz lead the company of Uruk-hai through the Orthanc Gatehouse. The former White Wizard felt confident that all the means he needed to bring a new order to Middle-earth would soon be his.

* * *

As Galadriel had told Rogers, the time had come for the Fellowship to leave Lothlorien just after a few days of their arrival. They were leaving at dawn on a clear, still day. The Galadhrim had provided the Fellowship with four rowing boats to travel south down the Great River of the Anduin. These boats both represented the quickest means for the Fellowship to continue its journey as well as putting distance between any enemy forces that could be pursuing them. In the first boat were Aragorn, Frodo and Sam; in the second were Boromir, Pippin and Merry; the third had Legolas, Banner and Gimli; and the final boat was crewed by Thor and Rogers.

The Galadhrim had also given many supplies to the Fellowship to take with them including the Elvish Way-bread known as 'Lembas'. When Legolas told him that one small bite of Lembas could fill the stomach of a grown man, Rogers thought the Galadhrim could have the solution to the age-old military problem of 'an army marches on its stomach'. Each of the Fellowship was provided with a grey cloak fastened with a green, silver-veined leaf brooch. The Galadhrim told them these cloaks would help the Fellowship to remain unseen from unfriendly eyes. Although Thor accepted the Galadhrim cloak given to him, he declined to replace his red Asgardian one with it. Instead he pinned the cloak's brooch just above the clasp of his red cloak as a sign of his gratitude.

Just before the Fellowship's departure Celeborn spoke jointly with Aragorn and Rogers. As Gandalf had appointed both Aragorn and Rogers to lead the Fellowship in his absence, the Lord of Lothlorien advised them with the latest reports on enemy movements. Beyond Lothlorien, Mordor orcs patrolled the eastern banks of the Anduin. Of equal concern, on the western bank a sizeable company of a new breed of orc, rumoured to be called 'Uruk-hai', had been seen bearing the White Hand of Isengard. When the Fellowship left Lothlorien it faced the risk of being spotted by enemy forces from all directions. Rogers and Aragorn agreed that the Fellowship would need to complete its journey down the Anduin with speed.

Now in their boats, the Fellowship commenced paddling southwards. Galadriel had given each member of the Fellowship a unique, individual gift. As the Fellowship rowed by the Galadhrim gathered on the banks of Caras Galadhon, the three Avengers recalled the words that Galadriel spoke to them as she presented their gift.

* * *

"_To you Thor Odinson, a helmet". Thor was given a peaked war helmet that was silver in colour with a pattern of intertwined white vines. The helmet had a nose guard as well as being designed to cover the back of his neck. There was even a leather strap at its back and a hook provided so Thor could carry it on his belt._

"_It was forged with the finest Elven Steel and with what mithril we can spare" Galadriel told him. "A helmet worthy of the greatest warriors – even the God of Thunder himself"._

"_I shall always be indebted to the smith who crafted it" Thor graciously replied. "And to the Lady of the Light who presented to me"._

_Not even Celeborn objected when Thor gently took Galadriel's right hand with his own and placed a small graceful kiss on the back of it._

* * *

"_To you Bruce Banner, a braise". Galadriel handed to Banner what appeared to be a pair of knee length boxer shorts. The silky smooth braise was silver in colour and appeared to have been horizontally stitched._

"_It has been crafted by our most skilled weavers" Galadriel advised him. "Unlike other undergarments it will not tear and will shift in size to match the wearer's shape"._

_Banner realised that obviously the braise was so he would not be completely naked after future appearances of the Hulk. For a moment he looked at the braise and tried to find something appropriate to say. He was prevented when Galadriel gently raised his chin with her left hand so he looked directly at her. Banner thought he might drown in her blue eyes._

"_Do not despair Bruce Banner" Galadriel comforted him. "You and your Other will find harmony before too long"._

* * *

"_In many ways I have given you your gift Steven Rogers, but allow me to present you with one more". Galadriel handed Rogers an old style straight razor that he could use to shave with. Its handle was coloured silver (Rogers had longed guessed that silver appeared to be the Galadhrim's favourite colour) and embossed with a golden symbol of a Mallorn-tree._

"_It is rare to find one from the Race of Men whose pride in their appearance is not driven by vanity" Galadriel remarked by way of explanation._

_As Rogers considered himself to be a plain speaker, he knew Galadriel would find his gratitude sufficient when he simply said "Thanks Ma'am. For everything"._

* * *

Soon the Fellowship rowed past Galadriel. She stood there dressed in a white cloak over her head and about her shoulders. The Lady of Lothlorien upraised her right arm as a gesture of farewell to the Fellowship.

As they left Galadriel and Caras Galadhon behind them, Gimli quietly commented to Banner and Legolas "I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Haugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me".

"What was it?" Legolas asked.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head" Gimli revealed. "She gave me three".

"You obviously don't believe Galadriel is a witch any more Gimli" Banner observed. "But you're certainly under her spell".

"Aye that's true" the Dwarf conceded with a soft smile.

If he had known more of the history of Middle-earth, Banner would have realised he was witnessing a historic act of rapprochement between its elves and dwarves.

* * *

**I must admit that I quite enjoyed writing this chapter. In large part it was written as a tribute to Sir Christopher Lee's portrayal of Saruman in the film trilogy. Some have said his performance was one dimensional, but to my mind he captured Saruman's hubris and ruthlessness perfectly. I hope my writing captures at least a tiny part of Sir Christopher's mastery.**

**So why did Galadriel chose Steve to look into the Mirror? I think she would have agreed with Erskine's observation that because Rogers was physically weak before becoming Captain America, he knows the value of strength and power. The events the Mirror revealed has given Steve warning of what may yet happen in Arda and Earth. Galadriel would believe of the three Avengers, Rogers to be the wisest in how he decides to eventually respond to them.**

**And I hope people didn't mind me using Thanos following his cameo appearance during the end credits of **_**The Avengers.**_


	12. Down the River

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

05/01/2013

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and input as to how the story should develop. If only to state the obvious, there are some very creative people in the Fan Fiction community.

**CaketinTheHobo**: I liked the challenge of building the dialogue between them. Although she appeared on it more than 20 years ago, my father still calls Cate Blanchett the 'girl in the TV advert for Tim Tams' (a brand of chocolate biscuits for those readers outside Australia).

**Dan man**: Writing a credible role for one of Marvel's villains within Sauron's ranks is beyond my abilities at the moment (though I can see just about all of them having interesting demarcation disputes with the Witch-king and The Mouth of Sauron). I agree with your observation about the Red Skull.

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Down the River**

It had been the third day since the Fellowship had left Caras Galadhon and they had well moved beyond the borders of Lothlorien. The Fellowship's destination was the Falls of Rauros that were a few days journey south of Lothlorien by boat. Rauros was a great waterfall of the Anduin, where the river fell from Emyn Muil to the wetland of Nindalf. Once the Fellowship had reached Rauros they would then continue their journey on foot to Mordor. Fortunately the Anduin did not seem to have a strong current and the Galadhrim boats felt like they were almost gliding along the Great River.

Rogers observed the terrain the Fellowship passed through on their journey. It was largely heavy forest occasionally broken by sharp cliff faces. He grimly thought this would be the terrain he would like to use as cover before ambushing a river transport that passed him by. He hoped Aragorn was right that Legolas' elven senses would give the Fellowship enough warning of any hostile forces that may approach them. Already the Fellowship had been made nervous by hearing the cry of crows through their journey. They could have simply been normal crows, but the Avengers had been told that Saruman possessed a breed of birds similar in appearance called 'Crebain' that acted as long-range spies for him.

If this was not enough to worry about, Rogers couldn't stop thinking about the images he saw in Galadriel's Mirror. Part of Rogers thought what he saw was like a 'A Christmas Carol' with him being Scrooge and Galadriel playing the Ghost of Christmas Future. Like the old miser in the story, Rogers hoped could turn around predicted events as there were infinitely more lives at stake than just his own. _The rest of us Avengers struggled to contain Hulk when came out in the SHIELD Heli-Carrier_ Rogers thought. _How could the Free Peoples, Thor and I possibly even fight him if Hulk had the power of the One Ring?_

Rogers had not told any of the Fellowship of what he saw in the Mirror. He did not want to tell them that the quest could be all but doomed. And Rogers did not want to mention to his two other Avengers that Earth's destruction was likely the result of their absence from it. Especially as Thor and Captain America had been killed by an evil Hulk now in the service of Sauron. No one else in the Fellowship knew about these images but somehow the Ring had picked up his thoughts. Rogers heard it yesterday speak to him for the very first time. It told him that only by taking the Ring as his own and using its power could he prevent the events he saw in the Mirror from taking place. Rogers remembered the lessons about the Garden of Eden that he learned in Sunday school. He thought the Ring's beguiling voice and what it offered must have been how the serpent sounded to Adam and Eve. Rogers largely resisted the Ring's temptations as being just another version of the 'Voice of Evil'. But to his shame, somehow the Ring made a small part of him consider that maybe it had a point.

To Rogers' mind, Galadriel allowed him to look into the Mirror as some form of a warning. But she was cryptic as to whether he was supposed to keep what he saw a secret. He would really like to discuss with someone what he saw in the Mirror as his introspection was driving him crazy. However, Galadriel allowed him to look in the Mirror in the form of a private viewing.

Whatever he eventually chose to do in this regard, Rogers hoped his choice would not disappoint the Lady of the Golden Wood.

* * *

The Fellowship stopped their journey for the day when it was near sunset. They had come to stop on a small island in the middle of a wider section of the Anduin. The island was quite bare except for boulders, stones and sand. Fortunately the river was quite deep around it so there was little to no chance the Fellowship could be ambushed from the western or eastern banks of the Anduin without warning. After they had pulled their boats onto the island's shore the Fellowship set camp for the night.

As always Frodo and Sam were close to each other, the later was making preparations for the evening meal. Aragorn had crafted a pair of crude fishing rods when the Fellowship stopped at a woody bank the previous evening. Right now he, Merry, Pippin and Boromir were trying to catch fish for the Fellowship's dinner. While they waited for dinner Gimli, Legolas and Thor passed the time by telling their old war stories. Thor had just finished describing the battle he, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had against the Asgard Destroyer when it attacked Puente Antiguo. Needless to say that both the elf and dwarf were incredulous at what Thor had told them.

"Are you honestly saying Odinson that it took just you and your four friends to defeat an indestructible suit of walking armour that was taller than a troll and could shoot fire like dragon's breath from its face?" Gimli asked Thor sceptically.

"That is correct son of Gloin" Thor calmly replied. Inwardly he was enjoying the confusion his two friends exhibited. Prior to his forced exile from Asgard to New Mexico, Thor would have challenged anyone to a duel that doubted his word on his deeds in battle. The God of Thunder's greatest victory in Puente Antiguo was not over the Destroyer. It was gaining a strong sense of humility that allowed him to place remarks like Gimli in their proper perspective. Just like the All-Father had planned Thor suspected.

"And you say the key to your victory was telling your sorrow to your traitor brother? Your sorrow that he felt the need to send this metal beast to kill you because of how you may have slighted him in the past?" Legolas added to which Thor nodded in response.

"I am sorry Thor" Gimli stated with a polite grin. "I allow what you told me of Mjolnir's creation to be the truth, but I can't oblige you here".

Thor responded with a jest of his own. "Gimli just because you think the Destroyer beyond your strength of arms to defeat, it does not follow it was the same for me".

Legolas gave a wide smile at Thor's comeback but Gimli put on a serious face even though his eyes twinkled.

"If you don't starting wearing Lady Galadriel's gift soon laddie," Gimli mock threatened Thor "your head will find out just how strong my axes are"!

Banner had overheard this conversation and was amused by the by play of the trio. However, as he was not a warrior he did not really feel a connection to the conversation. Banner began walking to the four Fellowship members who were fishing. He wanted to see if like home, tall tales in Middle-earth applied to fishing just as recollections of battles. Banner stopped when out of the corner of his left eye, he noticed Rogers standing with his back turned throwing stones into the water. He thought the grey Galadhrim cloak that Rogers was wearing did not really go with the red, white and blue colours of his uniform. Banner walked up just to the left of Rogers and looked at him.

"You know after what happened before we went into Moria, I would have thought throwing rocks into water to be a bad idea" Banner playfully scolded Rogers.

Rogers did not even turn his gaze to Banner as he calmly replied "Aragorn said these waters are fine".

Banner was puzzled by his friend's coldness. Not just now, but ever since the Fellowship had left Lothlorien, Steve had become quite serious and withdrawn. For that matter so had Frodo. Maybe both were expressing delayed grief for Gandalf but Banner felt there was more too it than that. Banner did not feel it was his place to ask the Ring-bearer what was bothering him, but Rogers was a fellow Avenger.

"What's wrong Steve?" Banner asked. "You've been like this since Lothlorien". Rogers gave Banner a sideways glance. Banner could see in his eyes a look of concern and fear which was very unlike Captain America. "Come on man," Banner politely insisted "you helped me when we left Moria. I want to do the same favour for you".

At Banner's words, for Rogers the choice of whether to tell Bruce or not what the Mirror had revealed became clear. Since coming to Middle-earth, Banner had twice honestly confided his problems to Rogers. Banner referred to the time outside Moria but there was also when he told Rogers of the voices he was hearing before any of the Avengers knew anything of the Ring. _Do I not owe Bruce the same trust? _Rogers thought_. Do I have more fear or faith in how I believe he will react to what I saw in the Mirror?_ Rogers wondered if the Ring's strategy was to destroy the Fellowship from within by sowing mistrust and fear among its members. Even if it were the only victory of Sauron's he could prevent, Rogers would not let the Dark Lord destroy the trust he had his friends.

"When we were in Lothlorien, Galadriel let me look into her Mirror which was sort of like a crystal ball" Rogers explained quietly. "I saw the forces of the Free Peoples having been annihilated by Sauron," Rogers then slightly jerked his head back in the direction of the Fellowship members behind him and Banner "including many of them". Seeing Banner's face harden at this, Rogers took a breath before continuing "I saw the Hulk wearing the Ring and fighting for Sauron. Thor and I were both lying dead at his feet and it was pretty obvious that he had killed us both".

Given what he had just told him, Rogers was surprised by Banner's quizzical response "Is that all what's worrying you? When we first entered the woods and I heard Galadriel's voice in my head, she was telling me not to let the Ring get to me". He then almost casually added, "Given what we know about the Ring I understand the concern if the Other Guy were to wear it".

"It's worse than that Bruce" Rogers said after a sigh as he believed Banner was not taking the threat revealed in the Mirror seriously enough. "I also had a vision of New York utterly destroyed. The three of us weren't there but Tony, Natasha, Clint and Director Fury were. A huge evil being killed them all. The power this being seemed to radiate made Loki look like just the naughty little brother that Thor tries to make him out to be".

Banner paused to consider his answer to this. He understood why Rogers was reluctant to discuss what he saw and was not angry because of it. In fact Banner was grateful that Rogers trusted he could keep Hulk under control after what he had just been told. At the same time he was glad Rogers had shared this information, as its content was too much for even one of Earth's mightiest heroes to bear alone.

"Look, there is a lot about Galadriel that is mysterious even by Middle-earth's standards" Banner observed to Rogers. "But she does not seem to be the type to crush people's spirits just for the hell of it. I don't think she would have let you see those events unless she believed we could stop them from happening".

Rogers considered Banner's reply for a few moments before conceding "You're right Bruce". He then began to apologise "I'm sorry if I didn't trust y– "

"Don't think your feelings make you an orphan" Banner interrupted. He looked over his right shoulder to where other members of the Fellowship were "Ever since we left Lothlorien I've noticed the feeling around the group becoming quite tense. Nearly everyone seems to be more on edge and testy with each other. I know you'll understand if I tell you I believe this a bigger problem for the Fellowship currently than anything you saw in the Mirror".

"The last thing we need is everyone at each other's throats before we reach Mordor" Rogers grimly commented. "I guess Hulk could wrap his hands around at least four or five throats at once". He changed his tone as he began to feel a weight coming off his shoulders "Thanks for listening Bruce".

"No problem" Banner simply replied. He then spoke to Rogers in a more upbeat tone "Look as long as we are trading favours…"

"What is it Bruce?" Rogers asked politely.

Banner ran his hand over his chin "Do you mind if once in a while I use the razor that Galadriel gave you"?

_At the same time in Caras Galadhon, Celeborn noticed Galadriel looking to the horizon from the southern balcony of their house. "Is all well my love?" he simply asked._

_Galadriel turned to her husband and replied "Yes Milord". She then gave a small smile before saying "There is greater hope for the Race of Men than I first thought"._

* * *

Banner's observation of the behaviour of the Fellowship was to be validated later that evening. Boromir and Thor hid behind a large rock on the island peering at a large log floating in the Anduin. The silvery strands of moonlight reflecting on the river revealed a pair of small clammy hands gripping the log. They also saw the top of a head barely visible above the log's edge, where a pair of large round eyes blinked at them.

"What is so miserable a creature?" Thor quietly asked Boromir.

"It's Gollum" Boromir and Thor turned to see that Aragorn had joined them. "He's tracked us since Moria".

"Gollum?" Thor repeated. "The creature that Gandalf said the Ring gave an unnatural lifespan and drove into madness"? Seeing both men nodding to confirm his observation, Thor then asked Boromir and Aragorn "Gollum still seeks the Ring despite what it did to him"?

"Indeed he does!" Aragorn answered with intense seriousness. "I had hoped we would lose him on the river - but he's too clever a waterman".

"And if he alerts the enemy to our whereabouts it will make the crossing even more dangerous" Boromir added.

"Perhaps our company should consider alternate routes to protect ourselves from that possibility" Thor suggested.

"Yes Thor" Boromir agreed. "And the Fellowship is fortunate that such a route is close at hand". Boromir turned to Aragorn and said to him "Minas Tirith is the safer road. You know it". Denethor would no doubt still argue for the Ring to be given to Gondor. But Boromir was confident he could change his father's mind and persuade him to give what aid the Fellowship needed to complete its quest. Boromir tried to persuade Aragorn of this "From there we can regroup, strike out from Mordor from a place of strength".

Aragorn was not moved by this argument. "There is no strength in Gondor that can avail us" he flatly told Boromir.

By the tone of his response, Thor could tell how appalled Boromir was by what Aragorn had just said. "You were quick enough to trust the Elves!" the Gondorian exclaimed in a slightly raised voice. "Have you so little faith in your own people? Yes, there is weakness. There is frailty. But there is courage also, and honour to be found in Men". Boromir gestured to Thor "Despite knowing nothing of Middle-earth, three Men volunteered without hesitation to aid our quest and have faced its dangers unflinchingly with their very lives" Boromir pointed out to Aragorn. "But even with that happening before your own eyes you still refuse to concede nobility in the Race of Men"!

Thor knew Boromir was technically incorrect to count him as a 'Man' as such. Even Rogers and Banner were not normal human beings by any stretch. But inwardly he agreed with the spirit of Boromir's argument. Loki had thought himself so superior to humans that somehow he believed it was in their best interests for him to be their tyrant. What his brother failed to see was that despite their short lives and many limitations, one human being could have a more profound impact – for good or ill – on the course of events than many powerful immortals could. Thor felt his time with the other Avengers as well as with Jane, Darcy and Erik proved this observation beyond doubt. Thor wondered if the choice of his ancestor three millennia ago had made Aragorn cynical about all Men. The Crown Prince of Asgard thought this was just as bad as a person who believed his race to be perfect and without fault (like Loki he had to admit). It appeared that Aragorn and Boromir had not finished their current argument around this subject as the former turned his back and the later grabbed his arm.

"You are afraid!" Boromir declared seemingly unconcerned if the other members of the Fellowship heard him. "All your life you have hidden in the shadows. Scared of who you are, of what you are"!

Aragorn strongly shook his arm from Boromir's grip. "I will not lead the Ring within a hundred leagues of your city!" the Ranger shot back before storming back to the rest of the Fellowship.

After Aragorn had gone Thor came up to Boromir and said to him quietly "He knows you are right Boromir. Just give him time and he shall come around".

Even though he was a good three inches taller than Boromir, the glare the Gondorian gave him made Thor feel significantly shorter. "Not only was my father was right about Gondor not needing a king," Boromir bitterly stated "Aragorn is unworthy to be the ruler of its people in the first place". Boromir left Thor behind as he went back to the large rock to continue his watch.

Frodo was the only member of the Fellowship who could hear the Ring give what sounded like a satisfied murmur.

* * *

A number of the Fellowship had heard Aragorn and Boromir's argument from the previous evening but none were brave enough to raise it the following morning. Not even any of the Avengers did. A tense silence reigned over the Fellowship as it continued to move southwards along the Anduin. This silence was only broken by late afternoon when the Avengers and a large number of the original had their first sight of another of Middle-earth's architectural marvels.

Ahead of them the Anduin snaked through a narrow gorge formed by the sides of two sheer cliff faces. On each side of the gorge entrance were two majestic white statues each three hundred feet tall. They both looked like a king, each wearing a robe and a crown placed on their head. The king on the right had a beard and his right arm rested on a long sword. The king on the left was clean-shaven and his right arm rested on a battleaxe. Both kings had their left arms thrust aloft with their palms facing outwards.

"The Argonath!" Aragorn told the rest of the Fellowship in reverential awe the name of the structure they were looking at. "Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old. My kin".

As the Fellowship rowed between it, Banner thought the Argonath was nearly the equal of Moria in terms of design (at least it did not have countless unpleasant monsters guarding it). Two vast quarry lines in the face of the cliffs gave some indication how the stones may have been cut for this structure. If the Statute of Liberty were taken off its pedestal, it would reach from its toes to the top of its torch about halfway up one the Argonath's statues. Banner thought the gesture the statues gave with their left hands was to warn travellers of the waterfall that sounded to be imminently close. But he could not help feel that their gesture and facial expressions had a touch of defiance in them.

"Hey Steve," Banner said over to Rogers "I think these guys would give Lady Liberty a good run for her money".

Although a proud New Yorker, Rogers conceded to Banner "You got a point Bruce". After a thought he then added "Though they would still be too small in size if Stark wanted to build a statue to himself in addition to his tower".

As the three Avengers laughed, the Fellowship wondered what this 'Tony Stark' had done to make such a noble man as Rogers continue to make jokes at his expense. Rogers was surely jesting that this Stark needed a large statue of himself for vanity's sake. Being the lord your own large tower would satisfy the ego of any person.

As the Fellowship passed through the gorge they entered into a natural lake that appeared to be two or three kilometres at its widest point. Its eastern and western banks had a narrow pebble beach that led into to dense forest. At its southern edge the roar of rushing water and the sight of mist indicated the presence of a mighty waterfall. Rogers assumed that the Fellowship had reached the Falls of Rauros. Rogers noticed on both sides of the Falls there was a hilltop crowned with what appeared to be more ancient ruins. Even though he was on a quest to save Middle-earth, Rogers thought it had a lot of people and landscapes with which he could draw some wonderful illustrations.

At the direction of Aragorn the Fellowship paddled towards the lake's western shore. They ended up beaching their boats on a gravel shore close to where the Falls were. As the members of the Fellowship began to disembark, Rogers noticed that Boromir was still in his boat. He was slightly slumped forward as he rested his hands on his knees and his eyes were closed as he seemed to be having deeply conflicting thoughts. To Rogers, if anything his friend looked even worse than when they both spoke in Caras Galadhon. Rogers walked over to his fellow soldier to see if he was ok. He placed a hand on Boromir's right shoulder that seemed to pull him out of his thoughts.

"I know you must be sick of me asking this Boromir," Rogers said "but are you sure you are alright"?

"I apologise that I keep concerning you Steve" Boromir replied after a polite sigh. "It is just I am very anxious about how things are in Gondor at present". Boromir was technically not lying but he was too ashamed to mention to Rogers all the reasons for the inner torment he currently felt.

"Well get some rest first and have something to eat" Rogers suggested. "After that, if you think it would help I would be happy listen to you".

Boromir stood up and got out of the boat. He placed his left hand on Roger's left shoulder and said to him with a small, sincere smile "During your war, I hope the men in your company realised what an honour it was to have Captain America as their commanding officer".

Rogers felt touched and humbled by Boromir's remark and replied "Our army had a pretty good General leading it. So does Gondor's".

Given the look Boromir gave to him in response to his compliment, Rogers believed that surely the unity of the Fellowship would hold as it headed into Mordor.

* * *

**Given that I start my new job on Monday I think this shall be the last chapter of this story for at least a week. I suspect it to be a lengthy chapter given what I plan to happen around the slopes of Amon Hen.**

**All I will say is that although the loss of powers that Thor and Hulk have experienced is temporary, both are still very much under the effects of the vortex.**


	13. Fellowships Broken and Remade

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

14/01/2013

Thanks everyone for waiting for this chapter. My new job has had me rather busy.

This chapter is largely based around events at Amon Hen but it is not an exact transcribing of the relevant scenes in the movie trilogy. I have had to make some compromises so events flow better given the three Avengers in the Fellowship.

**Brad W**: Bruce will give the full story behind the Hulk to members of the Fellowship but that is still a few chapters away.

**AurannaGreenleaf:** You are right about this Crossover being something of a strange experiment. Hopefully it has been as enjoyable for readers as it has been for me.

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Fellowships Broken & Remade**

The Fellowship had set up camp on among some old stone ruins that dotted the western shore of the lake. Gimli and Pippin tended to a small campfire the Fellowship had started. Rogers was speaking to Legolas. Banner joined Sam in resting against what remained of two corner walls trying to have a small nap. Sam was not performing his customary duty as cook because the Fellowship had not made camp for the night. As he unloaded gear from the Galadhrim boats Aragorn told the Fellowship around him "We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north".

"Oh yes?" Gimli asked sarcastically which drew Aragorn's attention. Gimli had never been there, but he had heard stories from other dwarves what the terrain of Emyn Muil was like. None of these stories made for happy listening. "It's a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil?" he continued. "An impossible labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better"! Pippin looked at Gimli in alarm. The Dwarf's description of what the Fellowship faced made Pippin stop chewing the bit of lembas bread he was snacking on. Gimli gave his final thoughts on the route that Aragorn had chosen "Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!"

"That is our road" Aragorn calmly but tersely reiterated. "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf".

"Recover my?!" Gimli was slightly outraged by Aragorn's response. As if a dwarf was ever at anything other than full strength!

Rogers and Legolas approached Aragorn. The three spoke in hushed tones. Rogers told his Co-leader "Legolas wants to say something to the both of us".

Seeing he had the full attention of both men, Legolas said with considered urgency "We should leave now".

"No" Aragorn replied looking eastward across the lake. "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness".

"Celeborn told Aragorn and me that the eastern shore is crawling with orcs" Rogers revealed. "Legolas we know it's a risk but night will be the best time to conceal ourselves from them".

"It's not the eastern shore that worries me" Legolas explained. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind". After a pause, the Mirkwood Prince added "Something draws near…I can feel it"!

Rogers knew that a lot of 'gut feelings' were badly mistaken not just in war but in all aspects of life. However, he had come to know how superior Legolas' elven senses were. Legolas was the best thing the Fellowship had in terms of an early warning radar. "Can you sense anything of what it could be?" Rogers asked him.

While Aragorn, Legolas and Rogers were talking, Merry and Thor had returned to the campsite after collecting firewood. The amount of firewood the Fellowship needed could have easily been collected just by Merry. But Thor volunteered to go and help Merry, while quietly assigning himself to be the Hobbit's bodyguard. As the pair put down their bundles they could hear Gimli murmuring to Pippin to "Take no heed of that young hobbit". Thor concluded that another member of the Fellowship had said something that had slighted Gimli. He wondered if Gimli and Legolas had resumed their battle of insults. Seeing Legolas was in deep conversation with Rogers and Aragorn this seemed unlikely though. Merry's thoughts were focused on other Fellowship members too.

"Where's Frodo?" he asked the group.

Merry's question stirred Banner and Sam from their naps. It also caused the discussion between Aragorn, Legolas and Rogers to immediately cease. Rogers also saw that Frodo was not the only member of the Fellowship missing.

"Boromir's gone too" Rogers commented. He and the remaining Fellowship members saw that Boromir had left his pack and shield leaning against a tree.

"Did either of them speak to any of you where they were taking their leave?" Thor asked to which in response Fellowship members shook their heads.

Aragorn and Rogers gave each other a quick look before the former spoke "We need to split up and find them. Who knows what danger they could be facing unawares"?

Aragorn did not want to speak his fear that the greatest danger Boromir and Frodo could face alone could be from each other.

* * *

To Rogers' surprise, Aragorn asked him to be his search partner. Aragorn told Rogers that he and Boromir had still not reconciled from their argument the previous evening. Aragorn thought if he found Boromir, the Captain of the White Tower would be more likely to tell him what happened if he were accompanied by Captain America.

Not long after the Fellowship had embarked on their search, Aragorn and Rogers came to an area where the head of a giant statue lay on its side. Aragorn spotted Frodo's tracks as well as a single pair of man sized ones. These tracks were made by footwear and came from the opposite direction of Frodo's. Aragorn could not be certain what made them but given the footwear imprint there was a good chance they were Boromir's. Whatever made them, it had struggled with Frodo before the Hobbit had got away by heading southwards up the hill. The other's tracks went to the southwest. Aragorn told Rogers the name of the hill was 'Amon Hen'. As Rogers was himself a competent tracker, Aragorn suggested they split up with he following Frodo's tracks and Rogers following what was likely Boromir's.

Unfortunately for Rogers the trail seemed to go cold as he entered a sizable grove within the forest around Amon Hen. Rogers understood why Aragorn seemed to be more concerned about Frodo than Boromir. Frodo was the Ring-bearer after all and despite the Fellowship's battles in Moria, the Hobbit could still be reasonably called a 'non-combatant'. Boromir on the other hand was one of the Free People's greatest warriors. But that still did not diminish the current concern that Rogers had for his fellow soldier.

Despite having met him just over two weeks ago, Rogers had developed a close bond with Boromir. Boromir had often confided to Rogers about Gondor's dire situation and it was plain to Rogers the great stress Boromir was under. Men under great stress could say and do things they would normally not even consider. Rogers had no doubt that just as the Ring tried to play on his fears to make him claim it for his own, it would have subjected Boromir to the same line of attack. Whereas Rogers' fears could be just hypothetical, the relentless advance of Mordor on a daily basis would give Boromir sound cause to believe his country's fall seemed imminent. If Boromir were to be alone with Frodo…Captain America shook his head that, again, he harshly doubted one of his friends. _I've only known Boromir a fortnight but he's one of the most honourable people I've ever met_ Rogers thought. _No matter the Ring's temptation I know in the end Boromir will do the right thing_.

Due to his worry about Boromir, Rogers at first did not notice he had company in the grove. He only knew when he felt the hairs standing on the back of his neck. He may not have had the senses of Legolas, but to Rogers that was a pretty good indication that danger was nearby. After whipping his shield off his back Rogers spun around to see thirty yards away a group of a dozen orcs that had been trying to take him by surprise. Similar to the first ones he, Thor and Banner encountered these orcs had skins of ugly brown, black and grey. But unlike those orcs, every one of these was at least two inches taller than Rogers was. They were all armed with steel falchions and wore sturdy looking plate armour. Some of these orcs wore visored helmets and carried long sided pentagonal shields. On each of the bottom corners of these shields was a long metal spike whose tip was seven inches longer than the shield's bottom edge. Rogers thought these spikes made the shields look like they had a pair of fangs like the ones these orcs were now baring at him. _So this is what the Uruk-hai look like_ Rogers observed to himself as he pulled his mask down.

A bald, grey skinned Uruk sneered at Rogers "A mask will not protect you Man from the might of the Uruk-hai"!

Rogers remembered what Aragorn had told him of the Uruk-hai's creation as he insulted back "With your faces you should've all been given a mask the day Saruman pulled you out of your slimy hole"!

Rogers then released his shield with a powerful fling at the neck of one of the Uruks to his right. The Uruk made to block Rogers' shield with its own. The armour and shields Saruman had given the Uruk-hai could protect them from a great many weapons used the Free Peoples. But the Uruk-hai's armour was well below what was needed to protect them from the weapons used by the Avengers. In the clash of shields Rogers' vibranium one cleanly sliced through the Uruk's steel one. Rogers' shield then inflicted a mortal cut on the Uruk's neck before deflecting from the impact. Rogers' shield killed three other Uruks in a similar fashion by the time it returned to his hand. These Uruks had tried to take Rogers by surprise. Instead Rogers had surprised the Uruks as they stood momentarily befuddled by how he used his shield to dispose of four of their brethren.

"I guess we all now know who has the better shield?" Rogers mockingly asked them.

The remaining eight Uruks roared and charged at Rogers with their falchions raised. The Fellowship's first battle with a force of Uruk-hai had begun.

* * *

Thor and Sam were searching together. They had come into a dense section of woods. Thor wondered why Frodo would have left the safety Fellowship and gone off on his own. _Somewhat similar to its effect on that creature Gollum, maybe the Ring has started to make Frodo lose his better judgment_ Thor thought.

"Mr Frodo!" Sam called out.

Thor understood Sam's urgency to find his best friend. However, it was imperative the Fellowship search for its two missing members as quietly as possible. It did not know what resided in the forest around them. Before Thor could tell this to Sam, their mutual attention was drawn by the sound of clashing steel to the south. Both of them shared a worried look. The sound of battle was universal as far as Thor was concerned.

"You keep looking for Frodo" Thor told Sam. "I shall aid the rest of our friends".

"Good luck Mister Thor" Sam replied.

Thor gave Sam a supportive pat on the back before they went their separate ways.

* * *

Banner was with Merry and Pippin as the three of them entered a large clearing just to the east of Amon Hen. Before the Fellowship had split up to search for its two missing members, Legolas quietly asked Rogers if it was wise that one of the search parties were made of three non-warriors. Rogers replied that Merry and Pippin had formed a close connection with Bruce. Besides, given that Hulk came out in Moria when he was needed, if any orcs attacked Merry and Pippin they probably had the best protection available. Rogers would later regret the complacency he had expressed to Legolas.

The three of them paused in the clearing to see if they could find any trace of Frodo or Boromir. Banner compared the clearing to a shallow natural amphitheatre as tree dotted ridge surrounded the clearing to its north, west and south.

"It's not like Frodo to just run off without telling any one" Merry remarked to Banner and Pippin as well as himself.

"He was always very sensible even though he is a Baggins" Pippin concurred.

Banner knew nothing of Hobbit bloodlines to judge the veracity of what Pippin had just said. He did know enough about ecology though that forests usually echoed with the sound of birdsong. Banner thought the woods in his and the two hobbits' close vicinity was eerily quiet. _Most birds only stop singing to hide from nearby predat…_Before Banner had a chance to worry about the implications of his conclusion, from the west the sound of battle echoed down the slopes Amon Hen. The three friends looked in the direction of the sound.

"Would Aragorn and Steve want us to help?" Merry asked Banner.

Out of the corner of his eye, Banner could see something moving towards them over the ridge to the north. "Guys it's too late for that" Banner replied.

Following Banner's gaze, Merry and Pippin saw half a dozen Uruk-hai streaming in their direction. Lurtz had gambled by dividing his force of Uruk-hai to attack the Fellowship from different directions. Given that the Fellowship had split up into small search parties Lurtz's gamble was to be well rewarded.

Banner willed the 'Other Guy' to come out. In keeping with his experience so far since coming Middle-earth, Banner found that Hulk did not want to comply. _Give me something to work with_ he inwardly berated Hulk. As if Hulk gave a grudging concession, Banner grew four inches taller and his skin became the palest green. His leg and arm muscles expanded but not so much as to tear through his outer clothing, it only felt tighter to wear.

Banner stood between Merry and Pippin and the two Uruks that reached them first. Even though he presently may have had only a fraction of Hulk's strength, Banner still had enough to crush one of the Uruk's helmets with a powerful right punch. Drawing on his martial arts training Banner then tried to quickly block the downward swing of the other Uruk's falchion with his left forearm. Both Banner and Uruk were surprised at the result. Banner at the pain he felt due to the bloody gash on his left forearm. The Uruk that the blow it delivered should have at least cut the Man's arm off. It was further surprised when the wound on the Man's arm healed itself immediately without leaving a scratch. After this happened, Banner gave the Uruk a backward blow with his now healed forearm that immediately broke its neck.

The next Uruk that moved to attack Banner did not wear a helmet but carried a two-handed battleaxe. Banner prepared to intercept the axe as the Uruk raised it while running towards him. As the axe swung at Banner's head its movement suddenly halted due to the blade of a sword across its handle.

"Boromir!" Pippin cried in relief as Gondor's Captain-General had come to trio's rescue.

Boromir quickly looped his sword out of the axe before using it to split the Uruk's skull open. He then threw a dagger at the exposed neck of another Uruk that killed it instantly. Banner dispatched the two remaining Uruks with powerful blows to their chest plates that noisily cracked open their ribcages.

"Thanks" Banner said to Boromir in a gravelly voice that was a mixture of the Hulk's and his own.

Boromir did not seem to give even a second thought to Banner's strange voice or appearance as he bitterly replied "I don't deserve anyone's thanks for anything ever again"!

Before Banner could ask Boromir what he meant, at least some twenty Uruk-hai came over the northern ridge.

"Fall back"! Merry, Pippin and Banner immediately obeyed Boromir's command to them.

* * *

At the summit of Amon Hen, Aragorn fought a desperate solo battle against a multitude of Uruk-hai. He was standing atop a small ruined monument that was some twelve feet high called the 'Seat of Seeing'. Aragorn sought to draw the Uruks attention so as to allow Frodo to get away unhindered. He was too busy fighting for his life to decide if respecting Frodo's choice to go to Mordor alone was the right thing to have done.

Saruman had created the Uruk-hai to be more intelligent than the average orc. They realised only some needed to fight Aragorn while the rest carried out Lurtz's orders to "Find the Halflings"! Aragorn noticed a number of the Uruks running towards the eastern slopes of Amon Hen. Narrowly avoiding being stabbed by the Uruk he was currently duelling, Aragorn ran to the edge of the Seat of Seeing and launched himself at the Uruks running below. Aragorn cried out the name of his great ancestor Elendil as he crashed into three Uruks, knocking them to the ground.

"_For Odin! For Asgard!"_

At Thor's loud war cry Aragorn realised he was now not alone. Thor had reached the summit and attacked the Uruks' northern flank. Using Mjolnir, Thor dispatched three Uruks in as many seconds. He smiled at the Uruks and taunted them "At least make it a challenge for me"! As Thor hoped, his insult angered the Uruks and more turned their attention away from Aragorn to him.

Aragorn thought the Valar must be in a generous mood as more reinforcements for the Fellowship arrived in the form of Legolas and Gimli. Legolas quickly killed two Uruks each with an arrow while Gimli killed another with a throwing axe before engaging in melee with his two handed battle axe. Between the four of them, Aragorn thought they could contain the Uruks on the summit from pursuing Frodo. Unfortunately this left all the other Uruk-hai that had earlier gotten away when he faced them alone.

Thor cleared a path of death through the Uruks to get to the other three Fellowship members. Thor's initial impression of the Uruk-hai was that while they were stronger and better equipped than the orcs he had previously fought, they still had a long way to go to be a match for him. The Uruks' armour and helmets cracked under the force of Mjolnir that led to their heads and bodies being brutally crushed.

As there were no longer any Uruks at the summit that needed to be immediately fought, Aragorn told his three comrades "We must stop them before they reach the others"!

"Where is the rest of our Fellowship?" Thor asked.

"I last saw Steve heading towards the western slopes of Amon Hen" Aragorn replied. He then slightly fudged the truth "Where the others are currently, I know not".

As if in response to Aragorn's statement the sound of a loud horn came from the east. It appeared to be centred somewhere in the woods east of the slopes of Amon Hen. Thor knew only one member of the Fellowship carried a war horn.

"The Horn of Gondor" Legolas calmly identified the sound.

"Boromir calls for aid!" Thor observed urgently before the four of them began to run in the direction of the sound.

All the Uruk-hai in the vicinity had heard Boromir's horn as well and began heading in its direction. A strange foot race had developed between the four Fellowship members and the Uruks around them to get to the source of the horn first. A number of Uruks reversed course and sought to at least hinder Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Thor. The later three had to stop to deal with Uruk-hai attacks while Aragorn was fortunate that he did not as yet have to break stride. Thor found these attacks to be more a nuisance than a real danger. However every attack he had to deal with wasted further time in getting to Boromir.

As he closed on the bottom of Amon Hen, Thor noticed a narrow stone stairway snaking down the slope. A number of Uruks were running down the stairway to get to Aragorn who was just in front of them. Thor was well aware that he still did not have the power to send Mjolnir flying over great distances. But Thor remembered from when he first tested it on that small boulder that Mjolnir could still make for an effective short ranged thrown weapon. The narrow stairway the Uruks were forced to run down in single file provided the perfect opportunity. Thor threw Mjolnir with great strength and deliberation and the legendary hammer picked up speed as it went down hill. The Uruks that Mjolnir hit fell like dominos as it struck each of their backs before coming to rest near the bottom of the stairs. Aragorn turned around at the commotion made by the crashing orcs. His eyes widened when he saw Mjolnir fly ten yards up hill of its own accord back into Thor's hand.

"Go Aragorn!" Thor shouted at him. "We three will deal with any pursuers". After he said this, Thor spun around leftwards while holding Mjolnir in his outstretched right arm. Such was the power of Thor's swing that Mjolnir cleanly hit off an Uruk's head from the rest of its body.

Aragorn turned back towards the direction of Boromir's horn leaving Thor, Legolas and Gimli to fight the Uruks. Aragorn thought he now understood how Frodo felt when he told the Hobbit to flee the summit of Amon Hen.

* * *

Boromir sounded the Horn of Gondor once again as he, Merry, Pippin and Banner kept falling back southwards. Unlike what Rogers thought when he first saw it, the Horn was crafted from a wild ox horn. It had been an heirloom of the Stewards of Gondor for generations and legend had it that if it were blown within the bounds of Gondor its call for aid would not go unheeded. Boromir hoped the legend was true because right now all the Horn seemed to be attracting is more Uruks. His tactic for the moment was to fight enough of a delaying action before the rest of the Fellowship arrived to their aid as the four of them faced being overrun by the Uruk-hai's ever increasing numbers. If no other member of the Fellowship heard the Horn, Boromir had no doubt that his friend Steve would.

Boromir admitted that the situation was a lot better than if he had been protecting Merry and Pippin alone. Even though the Hulk had not fully broken out, to Boromir's left Banner seemed to have harnessed enough of its power to be more than a match for the attacking Uruks. The wounds that Banner received from the Uruks weapons would have seriously wounded or killed a 'normal' man. The guttural cries that Banner released on occasion showed the wounds still caused him pain. But the wounds disappeared from Banner as quick as he received them before dispatching the offending Uruk with his bare hands. Merry and Pippin had wisely not joined Boromir and Banner in melee combat but supported them as best they could by throwing stones to disrupt the attacks of any oncoming Uruks. Boromir found it strange though that the Uruks seemed to be focusing their attacks on Banner rather than him. Surely these Uruks would know out of the both of them he was the one with the sword and shield?

It was at this time that Lurtz arrived on the scene and took stock of the battle between the Uruk-hai and the two Men and two Halflings. Inwardly Lurtz cursed the stupidity of his subordinates. He had relayed to the Uruk-hai under his command Saruman's order to him to capture the Halflings and the shortest Man. As the Fellowship had feared, crebain had been tracking their movements along the Anduin and relayed the information back to Saruman. Saruman in turn used the crebain to pass this information along to Lurtz. One piece of information was the Man that Saruman was after wore a green elven shirt that had a pattern of vines. Lurtz could see the Man less than fifty yards away from where he stood. However because this Man was no longer the 'shortest' in the Fellowship the rest of the Uruks assumed he was one they were allowed to kill. The Uruk-hai may have been bred to be an 'intelligent' race of orcs but their analytical ability was still very lacking. Lurtz decided to take care of the situation himself.

As Lurtz pulled an arrow from his quiver he also reached into a pouch on his belt that contained a small vial that Saruman had given him. Saruman instructed Lurtz to use the vial's contents if the Man proved too difficult to subdue. However it was imperative that the Man receive the vial's contents before he 'fully transformed' as Saruman put it. Knowing very little about the full extent of the Hulk, Lurtz was unsure what stage of transformation the Man was in given his pale green skin. But Lurtz did not want to face his master without being able to say he at least tried to use the vial. Removing the vial's stopper, he sprinkled some of its white solution on to the arrow's tip. He then pulled the arrow back with his bow and aimed it at one of the Man's non-vital areas.

Banner found the strength that Hulk allowed him at least enough to block these orc's attempts to harm Merry and Pippin. Despite the temporary pain he felt from each wound he received, Banner's fighting ability was still quite effective. He was able to dent and crush armour with his bare hands and throw an orc several yards. And as the orcs focused their attacks on him it spared Merry, Pippin and Boromir a lot of their wrathful attention. Just after he pushed back a pair of Uruks, Banner felt a sharp stinging pain in his left arm. Banner and his three friends notice that an arrow sticking in his left arm's bicep. Drawing on the Hulk's strength, Banner effortlessly pulled the arrow out and tossed it away. However, Banner began to worry when a moment later he began to feel somewhat drowsy. Having the Hulk as part of him, Banner was normally immune to any diseases, toxins or poisons that might enter his bloodstream. As he willed himself to remain in the fight Banner began to wonder if the vortex might have weakened this ability of Hulk also. What Lurtz had coated his arrow with was a powerful sedative that Saruman believed would pacify a mumakil.

Banner tried to steady himself to fight a group of oncoming Uruks. He let out a pained shout as another arrow struck him, this time in the left thigh. He pulled the arrow out but this action seemed to have greatly sapped his strength. Banner weakly dropped the arrow from his right hand as he felt consciousness slipping away as his eyes began to heavily droop. Boromir and the two hobbits watched in shock as Banner shrunk back to his normal size and colour before he collapsed face first into the ground. Lurtz gave a satisfied snarl before barking orders to nearby Uruks in their harsh tongue.

Stunned, Boromir looked at Banner's prone form for only a few seconds but it was a few seconds longer than he should have looked. Out of the corner of his eye, Boromir saw two Uruks almost toe to toe with him. The Uruk to his right he was able to dispatch, but without his shield, Boromir did not have the time or means to block the fist to his face from the Uruk to his left. Although the Uruk's left fist was not covered by a gauntlet, the power behind it made Boromir spit out a wad of blood as his head spun right. In a daze, Boromir tried to refocus but another Uruk smashed its shield into his face that caused him to drop his sword and topple backwards into the ground. Boromir's head was spinning in excruciating pain and he felt blood trickling into his eyes from the gash the Uruk shield made in his forehead. As he struggled to get back up Boromir was horrified by what transpired before him.

Seeing Boromir and Bruce had been neutralised, Merry and Pippin valiantly tried to protect them both with their short swords. With an angry and saddened cry, the two hobbits charged at the incoming Uruks. The Uruks did not even break stride as they disarmed Merry and Pippin of their weapons. Boromir last saw them each being carried over the shoulder of a running Uruk flailing their arms towards him and Banner. Then one of the taller Uruk-hai picked up a sedated Banner and slung him head first over its shoulder. Boromir managed to roll himself onto his hands and knees and with blurred vision saw the Uruks beginning to run away to the left of him. He frantically crawled towards his sword but as he gripped its hilt he was prevented from lifting it by a heavy leather boot that stood on the blade. Despite his daze, part of Boromir had been wondering why the Uruks had not killed him yet. As he looked up at the boot's wearer he understood why.

Lurtz sneered at Boromir who was on his hands and knees in front of him. He had ordered his Uruks to apprehend Saruman's desired captives and to leave the twisted pleasure of killing the Man with the horn to him. Lurtz drew an arrow with his bow and pointed it at Boromir's face.

As he waited for his end Boromir felt that he had never failed so many people so badly. He had failed to protect Bruce, Merry and Pippin from the Uruks. He failed Frodo when he tried to take the Ring from him in a fit of unreasoned anger. He failed his father and brother that he would not be able to help them defend his and their beloved Gondor ever again. Most importantly he felt he had failed himself. Even if Mordor emerged triumphant Boromir felt he would at least die with his honour intact. But seeing he had broken his oath to the Council of Elrond by his actions towards Frodo he did not even have that small comfort.

As he waited for the arrow to penetrate his skull, Boromir inwardly pleaded for mercy. His plea was not towards the Uruk. Even if there was a slight chance the Uruk would relent, Boromir still had enough pride that he would never beg to an orc for anything. Boromir's plea was to Eru Iluvatar that his soul be mercifully judged in the Halls of Mandos where he would be arriving very shortly. Lurtz gave him an evil, triumphant grin as he prepared to release his arrow.

Then just at the last possible moment, Boromir saw a flying body to his right push the Uruk into to the ground. The Uruk's arrow flew out in a random direction away from him. Despite wanting to get up, the stress of the situation and the pain he felt caused Boromir to faint face first.

* * *

Silently Aragorn thanked the Valar that he was able to arrive just in time to save Boromir from certain death. This left the more immediate problem that he now had to engage the Uruk that just tried to kill Boromir. Enraged that he had been prevented from claiming his kill, Lurtz quickly picked up a discarded Uruk falchion and shield that both lay on the ground and commenced fighting Aragorn.

Aragorn was taken back by the strength and quickness of Lurtz's attack. It had been a long time since he encountered an orc with the melee skills that Lurtz seemed to possess. Seeing an opportunity Lurtz pinned down Aragorn's sword with his falchion before giving him a brutal head butt. Aragorn was so stunned by the pain of Lurtz's skull on his that he involuntarily dropped his sword and stumbled back a few yards into a tree. As Aragorn was now where he wanted him, Lurtz threw his shield bottom edge first at the Ranger. The shield pinned Aragorn to the tree by catching his neck between its two bottom spikes. Aragorn quickly tried to remove the shield but Lurtz had thrown it too strongly. He began to panic as Lurtz approached raising his falchion ready to slice off Aragorn's head. But before Lurtz could do this a circular blur from the west cut off the Uruk's head instead. The first of the Uruk-hai to walk in Middle-earth was no more. Because he was still pinned by Lurtz's shield Aragorn couldn't turn his head to see who his rescuer was. His rescuer politely apologised "Sorry for being a bit late".

It was Rogers! "I heard Boromir's horn but you guys missed a lot of orcs that were able to delay me from getting here earlier" the American explained before he pulled the shield out from the tree.

"My apologies my friend!" Aragorn replied with a relieved smile. "If it helps me atone, an Uruk's shield does not fly as gracefully in the air as your own"! Both leaders of the Fellowship gave each other a quick pat on the back before running over to Boromir.

When they reached him both men gently rolled Boromir on to his back. While he still had a regular pulse, Boromir's face was covered in dry and fresh blood. Dirt had stuck onto the sticky surface of Boromir's face. From what Aragorn felt of Boromir's face, one positive was that the Uruks did not appear to have broken any bones. Rogers quickly took off his Galadhrim cloak and offered it to Aragorn to use as a crude tourniquet. While his wounds were nasty, Aragorn was confident that Boromir would heal and recover from them.

To the relief of both men, Boromir began to stir and opened his eyes.

"Lay still" Aragorn gently told Boromir but the Captain-General of Gondor ignored him.

"They took the little ones!" he rapidly reported through his bloodstained teeth. Glancing over to Rogers who was to his right, Boromir also added "Bruce too".

Aragorn and Rogers shared a concerned look at Boromir's dire news. But they both knew which Fellowship member currently needed their attention the most.

"Steve, go back to our campsite" Aragorn began. "In my pack you will find a black pouch containing my medical supplies. Bring it here and get some fresh water"! Rogers bolted off in a north east direction once Aragorn had finished speaking.

"Where is Frodo?" Boromir asked Aragorn.

"I let Frodo go" Aragorn replied.

"Then you did what I could not" Boromir revealed guiltily. "I tried to take the Ring from him".

"The Ring is beyond our reach now" Aragorn advised.

"Forgive me, I did not see" Boromir pleaded. "I have failed you all".

"No Boromir!" Aragorn insisted. "You fought bravely. You have kept your honour".

"Because of my folly Frodo now goes to his doom" Boromir said as some fresh blood gurgled from his mouth.

"He told me what happened between you both Boromir" Aragorn told him. "He did not blame you for what transpired. I think he has been planning to leave the Fellowship ever since we left Lothlorien".

Aragorn then began to apply Roger's Galadhrim cloak to stem the bleeding from Boromir's forehead. He glumly thought treating Boromir's guilty conscience would be a lot harder.

* * *

Captain America could run at a speed that would leave an Olympic sprinter gasping. Nonetheless Rogers was grateful that the Fellowship's campsite was not too far from where Boromir was. He pulled back his mask before searching Aragorn's pack and easily finding the Ranger's medical pouch. He then picked up a water skin that was mostly full. As Rogers slung the water skin over his right shoulder his eyes widened at a disturbing discovery. One of the Fellowship's four boats was missing!

Quickly looking around his immediate environment, Rogers saw the missing boat several hundred yards out on the lake moving eastwards. It appeared it was being paddled but he was not sure by who due to the fading sunlight as dusk approached. Frodo and Sam could be the boat's crew, as they were the only Fellowship members currently unaccounted for. Then again it could have been stolen by orcs who were now going to report the Fellowship's presence to their kin that patrolled the eastern shore. Worse, maybe Frodo had been captured and orcs were ferrying him eastwards across the lake before taking him to Mordor. Rogers thought about calling out but the water skin subtly tapped his side as if to remind him what his priority should be.

"Damn!" Rogers whispered to express his view of the situation before heading back to aid Boromir.

Rogers was back in the woods about halfway between the Fellowship's campsite and where Aragorn and Boromir were. He suddenly halted when he heard a loud but familiar voice call out "Steve!" from behind him. It was Thor who was accompanied by Legolas. They were not less than ten yards away as they ran up and stood next to Rogers.

"We heard the Horn of Gondor's call" Legolas explained.

"Aragorn and I helping Boromir now" Rogers replied quickly.

"How does Lord Boromir fare?" Thor asked with deep concern.

"He's suffered some facial wounds but he should be ok" Rogers advised. Much earlier, Rogers had finally gotten around to answering Merry's question when he told the original Fellowship members that by 'ok', he and Banner meant things were alright.

Both Thor and Legolas began to ask questions simultaneously but Rogers raised his hand to stop them. "I appreciate the concern but we have another problem" Rogers told the pair. "No one seems to know where Frodo and Sam are". Legolas and Thor quickly exchanged a look. "I saw one of our boats being paddled east over the lake" Rogers continued. "It could have been them but I'm not sure. The best help you can give right now is to find the Ring-bearer and his gardener".

"Leave it to us Captain" Legolas promptly responded.

As the three of them parted ways Gimli just arrived on the scene. The Dwarf noticed that Legolas and Thor were heading to the Fellowship's campsite. He stopped and shouted at them "Where do you think you going? The Horn came from where Steve is running"!

"Change of plans Gimli!" Thor called back to him.

"It would appear that fair haired Men and Elves have no sense of direction!" Gimli grumbled to himself before racing off after the pair.

* * *

Meanwhile Aragorn was reasonably satisfied with how he had staunched the flow of blood from Boromir's wounds. Boromir's greatest danger now came from the threat of infection. However Aragorn's pouch contained fresh bandages and herbal remedies to prevent this.

"It would appear you are as strong as the walls of Minas Tirith" Aragorn said to Boromir to console him. Boromir gave a weak smile in response. Aragorn then began to advise Boromir of his prognosis "Your face will bear witness to your wounds for a time but you will be at full strength before too long".

Boromir's lip began to quiver and a tear began to run from his eye as he lamented "It would have been better if I had been slain".

"Do not speak such a thing Boromir!" Aragorn gasped in shock. "The Fellowship is honoured to count you among its number and it is our greatest fortune that you are still with us!"

"No it is over" Boromir tearfully argued. "The world of Men will fall and all will come to darkness". He then painfully chocked out "And my city to ruin"!

Moved by his words, Aragorn took a deep breath before firmly holding Boromir's right hand with his own.

"I do not know what strength is left in my blood," Aragorn began "but I swear to you that, together, we will not let the White City fall. Nor our people fail!"

Boromir's eyes widened. "Our people?" he repeated "_Our people?"_ Aragorn confirmed his epiphany to Boromir with a firm nod.

Rogers arrived just in time to hear Boromir speak an epiphany of his own. "I will follow you My Brother," Boromir firmly vowed to Aragorn "My Captain, _My King_".

Aragorn responded with a humble smile before taking his medical pouch that Rogers was offering him.

As Aragorn began to treat Boromir's wounds Rogers reflected on the situation and gave a tiny smile of his own. Boromir may currently be a patient, but his sincere promise to Aragorn had finally healed a deep wound that had been festering in the Fellowship's heart. The Uruk's attack had broken the Fellowship likely into three separate groups. But the bond between its members had never been stronger.

Rogers thought that, somewhere, Gandalf would be proud of them.

* * *

By the time the three men arrived back at the Fellowship's camp Gimli, Thor and Legolas were waiting for them. The later two were especially anxious.

"Hurry!" Legolas urged them before confirming a suspicion of Rogers. "Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore"!

Both Thor and Legolas began to push one of the Galadhrim boats in to the water but halted when the other four made no attempt to join them.

Referring to Frodo and Sam a stunned Legolas asked Aragorn "You mean not to follow them"?

Aragorn looked out across the lake to see where Frodo and Sam had beached their boat. "Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands" he said plainly.

"But if we do not follow them then Frodo and Sam walk to certain death!" Thor strongly argued.

"Their death is no more certain than if we accompanied them Thor" Aragorn calmly advised him.

Thor was about to remonstrate further when he suddenly noticed that Frodo and Sam were not the only members of the Fellowship not currently in his presence.

"Where are Banner, Pippin and Merry?" Thor asked with concern.

"They were captured by the Uruk-hai who ran off with the three of them" Rogers regretfully reported.

"Then it has all been in vain!" Gimli bitterly concluded. "The Fellowship has failed".

After a momentary pause Aragorn walked over to Gimli and placed his left hand on the Dwarf's left shoulder. "Not if we hold true to each other" Aragorn reassured Gimli with Galadriel's words.

Aragorn then turned to address the rest of the Fellowship. It may have been a trick of the setting Sun, but in Thor's eyes a halo of light seemed to surround Aragorn. This halo gave Aragorn the stature of a king that made him metaphorically tower over the Argonath's pair.

"We will not abandon Merry, Pippin and Bruce to torment and death" Aragorn strongly stated before fixing his gaze on Boromir who was now wearing a bandage around his forehead. Aragorn raised his eyebrows knowingly at the Gondorian before adding "Not while we have strength left". Boromir gave an understanding smile in response as Rogers placed a hand on his fellow soldier's left shoulder as a show of support.

"Leave all that can be spared behind" Aragorn commanded as he picked up his pack. "We travel light. Let's hunt some orc"! Aragorn then rushed into the woods heading westward quickly followed by Boromir and Rogers.

Legolas and Gimli gave each other a mock glare as if to fool each other there was racial antipathy between them. Thor, who stood between them, asked in a severe tone "Why do the both of you wait staring while our friends are in danger"? The God of Thunder then grinned and said with restrained enthusiasm "After all we have a competition that needs settling"!

Legolas and Gimli burst into smiles themselves before the later proclaimed loudly "YES"!

The three of them then charged into the woods to follow the other Fellowship members that had preceded them.

* * *

**Where the story is now would, by movie canon, mark the end of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. I can't give an exact date for its release but I assure readers they won't have to wait 12 months to wait for the first chapter that marks the start of 'The Two Towers' part of the Trilogy.**

**Like a few reviewers have asked, quite early on I decided to have Boromir survive the skirmish on Amon Hen. I just didn't want to spoil what surprise there would be for readers.**

**Of course Boromir's survival and his oath of fealty to Aragorn mean that politics in Gondor is likely to get very interesting later on in the story. There is the more immediate question of what role the Avengers will have in the imminent war that Saruman is about to wage on Rohan. Also to be revealed is the extent that Thor and Hulk's powers will continue to return to aid them in this task.**

**There has been some reviewer speculation if any of the Avengers would accompany Frodo and Sam. There has never been even the slightest chance in my mind that this would happen. IMHO one of, if not the, greatest themes of The Lord of the Rings was that Sauron was not directly destroyed by the actions of great warrior-kings, powerful wizards or mighty elf or dwarf lords. The Dark Lord's downfall ultimately came at the hands of two unassuming and steadfast hobbits (count Gollum as well if you must). I shall not detract from this most important of lessons.**


	14. Hunting Prey

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

21/01/2013

Thanks to all readers for making this story's Reviews and Followers reach over 100 in each category. To use a good Australian colloquialism I have 'cracked the ton' in both.

I am also glad that (so far) every reviewer has liked my idea of Boromir surviving. Obviously I am not alone in having Gondor as my favourite nation of Middle-earth.

**JediMasterChris1**: I think I was as old as my youngest nephew when that show came out Like him currently, at that age I absolutely loved Hulk.

**CocoVita:** Yours was reader reaction I never thought this story would cause :)

**Spirit Speaker:** No apologies are needed, as I fully understand where you are coming from. _The Two Towers_ is my favourite part of the movie trilogy.

**KungFu Jedi**: Thank you for your kind words.

**CreepyLOTRfangirl55:** I think you might find a clue about the drinking game in an earlier chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Hunting Prey**

The company of Uruks that had taken Merry, Pippin and Banner hostage had left Amon Hen well behind. From Amon Hen the Uruks moved in a westward direction until the forests had thinned out. They had come to a region known as the Wold that was made of open plains occasionally dotted by clusters of rocks and boulders. The Wold was part of a larger area known as the Eastmet that formed the eastern half of the Mannish Kingdom of Rohan.

There were about forty Uruks in this company. They were the only ones left of the original two hundred Uruk-hai that Saruman had sent to attack the Fellowship. These Uruks had only stopped once since they caught their three captives. This was so they could better secure Merry, Pippin and Banner. The three Fellowship members had their wrists to the front of them bound with rope. This allowed two Uruks to each carry one of the hobbits in a rough piggyback. Despite being back to his regular height, Banner was still too big to be transported this way. The large Uruk that lifted Banner at Amon Hen still carried him. The Uruk had wrapped its muscular left arm around Banner as it carried him over its left shoulder. Banner's head and bound wrists brushed the Uruk's back as his captor moved.

Aside from binding them, the Uruks also removed any weapons the three still had on their person. For Merry and Pippin this meant their personal gift from Galadriel. The Lady of Light had given each of them an ancient elven or 'Noldor' dagger carried in an intricate wooden sheath. Banner had no weapons on his person but the Uruks found his battery dead iPhone that he had still in his possession. Having no knowledge of telecommunications, the Uruks were unsure what was the purpose of the strange relic this Man had in his keeping. They agreed to bring it to Saruman in the hope he would give them an extra reward on top of the one he would surely give them for their hostages. Lurtz had been killed before he could tell the Uruks under his command that the Fellowship contained four halflings.

With the death of Lurtz the command of the Uruks had passed to the only other Uruk-hai that Saruman had bothered to name. This Uruk-hai's name was Ugluk. Ugluk was about Lurtz's height but his skin was a deep grey with splotches of black. Ugluk's hair was dirty blond and white in colour. Ugluk was in the van of the company of Uruks as it ran across a plain of the Wold. It was the morning of the fourth day since their battle with the Fellowship. As they approached a group of boulders Ugluk raised his fist to bring the company to a halt. At this signal a group of a ten Mordor orcs crawled out from behind the boulders.

When he allied himself to Sauron, Saruman received from the Dark Lord the dubious 'gift' of several hundred Mordor orcs. Through his spies Sauron had found out about the force of Uruk-hai sent to attack the Fellowship the day after they had left the Orthanc. Communicating to Saruman through the palantir, Sauron 'requested' that some of the Mordor orcs join the Uruk-hai in their mission. Saruman obeyed Sauron only because he did not yet have the power to openly defy him. But he just followed the letter of Sauron's order by sending only a few Mordor orcs with orders to lay in wait for the Uruk-hai as they returned from Amon Hen. Their role would be to 'assist' the Uruks bring the hostages he wanted back to Orthanc. Being so close to getting what he dearly wanted, Saruman was not going to hand it over to Sauron at the last moment.

Most of the Uruks sneered at the sight of the Mordor orcs. As far as the Uruk-hai were concerned, their Mordor brethren were a 'lesser' breed of Orc as they did not have the Uruk's strength or sunlight tolerance. Mordor orcs in return believed the Uruk-hai to be an abomination to the whole Orc race that the Free Peoples of Middle-earth had feared throughout the ages. The mutual contempt both breeds of orcs had for each other was underscored in the conversation they started.

"You're late" Grishnakh the Mordor orcs' leader scolded the Uruks. Grishnakh had ugly milky white eyes and similar coloured hair that clung to a bald patch on his brown skinned head. "Our master grows impatient" he continued. "He wants the Shire rats now". By 'He' Grishnakh meant Sauron. The Dark Lord had secretly instructed the orcs he sent to Isengard to bring to him any hobbits that Saruman displayed an interest in. Unlike Saruman, Sauron did not care if hobbits were 'spoiled' in captivity as long the One Ring was returned to him.

"I don't take orders from Orc maggots" Ugluk growled back. Total obedience to Saruman was inherent in every Uruk's very being. "Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them".

While Ugluk and Grishnakh expressed their mutual contempt Pippin quickly checked up on the two other Fellowship members. Banner was a few feet in front of him with his face and hands drooped over a large Uruk's shoulder. Merry was right next to him on the back of another Uruk. Merry had a large gash on his forehead and was seemingly unconscious.

"Merry! Merry!" Pippin urgently whispered to his cousin "Wake up"!

Seeing that Merry gave no response Pippin unwisely told the Uruks "My friend is sick. He needs water. Please"!

"Sick is he?" Ugluk sarcastically responded. "Give him some medicine boys"!

An Uruk next to Banner unstoppered a flask around its waist that let out an odour of strong, unpleasant liquor. Banner's nose twitched at the smell and the rest of him began to stir as a result. The Uruk with the flask walked over to Merry and began to roughly pour its contents down his throat. Merry began to sickly choke as a result.

"Can't take his draught!" Ugluk cruelly observed that made the other Uruks laugh.

"Stop it!" Pippin angrily told the Uruk with the flask. "Leave him alone"!

On hearing the tone of Pippin's voice, Ugluk strode up to the Uruk carrying Pippin. Ugluk looked over the Uruk's shoulder into Pippin's face and sternly asked him with a pointed finger "Why? You want some"? Seeing Pippin nervously shake his head Ugluk then commanded him "Then keep your mouth shut"!

"Ain't you a big tough guy to beat up on two bound and wounded hobbits?" a slurred voice from behind Ugluk derisively told him.

"Bruce!" Pippin quietly exclaimed both in relief and warning to Banner. Pippin was relieved that Bruce had spoken his first words since their capture at Amon Hen. But by the glazed look in Banner's eyes and his delirious speaking pattern, Pippin could tell the Avenger was still in pain from his injuries. If Pippin knew anything about toxicology he would have known that Banner was suffering the after effects of the sedative that Lurtz had forcefully given him. Pippin did not want Bruce to suffer the cruelties of the Uruks like Merry just had.

Turning to look at Banner, Ugluk growled him "Hold your tongue Man or I shall cut it off"!

"Sure" Banner agreed sarcastically. "But you want to know what I'll talk about first to who you are taking us to"?

"What?" Ugluk scornfully asked.

Banner gave an insolent smirk to Ugluk before saying; "It'll be about how our friends and us totally kicked your guys' asses by the waterfall"!

Ugluk's anger turned to fury when he saw Grishnakh and the other Mordor orcs chortling at Banner's remark. He walked up to Banner and looked directly into his face.

"You are fortunate Man" Ugluk said through clenched teeth with barely contained rage "that Saruman wants us to bring you to him alive and unspoiled".

At this remark Banner's face seemed to quickly harden and look very sober. The deadly glare that Ugluk received from Banner made the Uruk even a fraction nervous.

"Keep making me angrier pal", Banner coldly threatened "and you and your boss will have to redefine your whole meaning of the word 'fortunate'".

Before Ugluk could respond he noticed one of his Uruk Scouts sniffing the air.

"What is it?" he quickly asked the Scout "What do you smell"?

"Man-flesh" the Scout replied.

Pippin's eyes widened at this. At least some of the other members of the Fellowship were coming to their rescue! As the orc said 'Man' Pippin secretly hoped that perhaps Boromir was still alive. Giving how Ugluk previously threatened him, Pippin knew it was not a good idea to call for help. But maybe he could leave a clue behind that would lead the Fellowship to the three of them. After fixing on an idea Pippin began to remove with his teeth the leaf brooch that was around his Galadhrim cloak.

"They've picked up our trail!" Ugluk cursed. "Let's move"!

At Ugluk's words both the Uruk-hai and Mordor orcs recommenced their run towards the Orthanc. Pippin finally had loosened the brooch and spat it on the ground. He was relieved that none of the orcs had noticed his actions or the brooch as they ran over it. Pippin exchanged glances with Banner who gave him a quick wink.

Before he slipped back into unconsciousness again Banner encouraged Pippin "Hang in there. I think the cavalry is coming".

* * *

A long way to the east of the orc company, Aragorn lay at the top of a small rocky hill. He had his eyes closed and his left ear flat on the ground as he listened to the orcs' movement echo through the earth. This valuable tracking skill he learned as a Ranger many years ago. Thor stood to his left.

"Their pace has quickened" Aragorn commented about the orcs to Thor and himself.

"They know we are pursuing them" Thor quietly agreed in reply.

As he got up from the ground Aragorn surmised "They must have caught our scent". Aragorn then turned to the four Fellowship members standing further down the slope behind him and Thor "Hurry"! Legolas rushed to join the pair leaving Rogers, Boromir and Gimli in their wake.

Still standing, Gimli puffed "Three days' and nights' pursuit. Little rest, no food and little sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell".

Having been in Middle-earth for nearly a month now, Rogers knew a good way to get Gimli moving. Rogers stated to the Dwarf "You know Gimli those things don't seem to stop Legolas".

When Gimli saw Boromir give a tiny smirk at Roger's remark, he half glared at the pair of them before indignantly stating "I didn't say I was giving up lads"!

Like the Uruk-hai who attacked them, the six hunters had long left the forests around Amon Hen well behind. As they ran in a westerly direction, Rogers felt the Fellowship was moving on a downward slope. The Wold's plains would make it easier to track the Uruk-hai that had captured Merry, Pippin and Banner. Still Rogers had to concede that the pursuit the Fellowship was conducting was one of the hardest he had ever been part of. Gimli was right about there being little rest. Mostly because of Boromir's injuries Aragorn allowed the Fellowship to rest at night for two or three hours at most. Gimli was technically incorrect about there being no food. But the fact that over the last four days, a small bite of lembas bread on the run was considered by the Fellowship members present to be a 'meal' there was some justification to his complaint. The only other time that the Fellowship could rest was when Aragorn stopped to examine for further evidence of the Uruk's trail.

Rogers could have easily kept up with Aragorn, Legolas and Thor. but he opted to stay with Boromir and Gimli who both ran at a slower pace for different but obvious reasons. Rogers thought that in the US Army, Boromir would still not even be considered fit for duty. But the Gondorian insisted that he was well enough to join the Fellowship in their hunt. After the events around Amon Hen, Boromir was keen to atone for at least one of his self-perceived 'failures'. Rogers inwardly vowed to look after Boromir as long as he was injured even if he had to carry Boromir on his back. If any orc wanted to harm Boromir while he was still wounded, then they would have to go through Captain America first. Rogers assuaged Boromir and Gimli's pride by advising that the three of them were 'protecting the rear' of the three other Fellowship members as they scouted ahead.

Aragorn reached the group of boulders that the Uruk-hai had rendezvoused with the Mordor orcs earlier. He immediately caught sight of the brooch that Pippin had dropped on the ground. Aragorn bent down and picked up the brooch before he rested it in the palm of his right hand.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall" he remarked to both Thor and Legolas.

"Our friends leave us a clue of their whereabouts and hopefully their wellbeing" guessed Thor.

"They may yet be alive!" Legolas said with rising hope.

Just then Boromir and Rogers caught up with the three of them. Aragorn showed them the Galadhrim brooch resting in his palm.

"At least we're on the right track" Rogers responded to the sight of the brooch.

"More than that," Aragorn advised "our friends are less than a day ahead of us. Come!"

At Aragorn's command the five of them recommenced their run. As they began running they all heard a loud crash come from behind. All but Aragorn turned to see the noise was the result of Gimli stumbling.

"Come, Gimli" Legolas encouraged him. "We are gaining on them"!

"I am wasted on cross-country" Gimli panted. "We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances"!

"I shall race you over the next hundred yards then Master Dwarf!" Thor playfully teased Gimli.

Gimli's frustration at being shown up in endurance by Thor and Legolas was evident in his reply to the former "For your sake Odinson you'd better be well in front me at the end of that race"!

The six Fellowship members eventually came to rest atop a group of low lying rocky hilltops that gently sloped into a vast yellow coloured grassland. The grassland stretched westwards as far as the eye could see.

"Rohan or 'The Riddermark' as its people call it" Aragorn described the lands that faced the Fellowship. "Home of the Horse-Lords".

When Aragorn said 'Horse-Lords' Rogers immediately thought of famous horse riding nations throughout Earth's history such as the Scythians, Huns and Mongols. When Rogers remembered some of the brutal excesses those nations' warriors were infamous for, he wondered if going across this 'Rohan' was such a good idea.

"Do Rohan's people lead a nomadic lifestyle?" he questioned Aragorn to see if his concerns might be justified. Aragorn shook his head in response.

"No Steve" Aragorn replied. "Despite the love they have for their steeds the Rohirrim reside in farmlands, small villages and larger settlements constructed of wood. Their largest settlement is called 'Edoras' which is their capital and crown city. Edoras is several days travel westward from where we stand".

"What reception can we expect these 'Rohirrim' to give us if we should come across any?" Thor asked.

Rogers was pleased when it was Boromir who answered Thor's question. If the Gondorian was able to speak at length then it was a good sign that he was recovering from his wounds.

"Gondor and Rohan have been allies ever since the Oath of Eorl was sworn over 500 years ago" the Son of the Steward advised Asgard's Crown Prince. "If we come across the right Rohirrim I am sure they will give us aid". He did not know it at the time, but Boromir was to find out over the next few weeks just how badly relations had deteriorated between the two nations of Men.

"There is something strange at work here" Aragorn said to bring the Fellowship's attention to their task at hand. "Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us". He noticed that Legolas had moved to the front of the Fellowship as he perched himself on a boulder. "Legolas!" Aragorn called out to his elven friend. "What do your Elf-eyes see"?

After a pause Legolas replied "The Uruks turn north west. They are taking the hobbits and Master Banner to Isengard"!

"Saruman" Aragorn muttered grimly.

"Obviously Saruman knows a hobbit within the Fellowship bears the Ring but he is unsure as to _which_ hobbit" Thor accurately assessed.

"That makes sense" Gimli agreed. "But I can't think in Mahal's name why the Traitor Wizard would want Bruce".

Inwardly Rogers concurred with Gimli's statement. _By bringing Bruce to his doorstep Saruman risks unleashing the full power of Hu-_. Rogers felt his anger rising as he figured out Saruman's likely interest in his fellow Avenger. During his years on the run Banner had to avoid forces on Earth that wanted to trap him and draw out Hulk for their own twisted and evil ends. These forces did not care what happened to Banner or the experiments they subjected him to. It looked like Bruce was to be hunted by similar forces in Middle-earth as well. _And people wonder why Bruce still has a lot of residual anger_ Rogers thought.

"Bastard!" Rogers cursed through clenched teeth as he thought of Saruman.

The five other members of the Fellowship all heard Rogers' curse and looked at him in surprise. Even Thor could not remember Rogers speaking as such.

Seeing he had the attention of the rest of the Fellowship, Rogers bluntly advised them "Saruman wants to create his own army of Hulks".

"By Elbereth!" Legolas whispered in horror as he realised the ramifications of what Rogers had just said.

"We better get Bruce, Merry and Pippin back as quickly we can!" Rogers urged. "If we don't then Uruk-hai like those we encountered will be the least of Saruman's forces the Free Peoples will have to worry about".

* * *

It was now nightfall. If they could have known, it would have been a major solace to the six hunters that the company of Uruks and Mordor orcs they pursued felt exhausted as they did. At a signal from Ugluk they all stopped running and many of them collapsed to the ground. The Uruks that carried Merry, Pippin and Banner roughly placed them on the ground stomach first.

"We ain't goin' no further till we've 'ad a breather!" one of the Mordor orcs loudly panted.

Much to his internal disgust, Ugluk agreed with the orc. "Get a fire going!" he ordered the company. A number of Uruks and Mordor orcs began to loudly chop at the trees that formed part of a large forest a couple of dozen yards north of the company. The forest was commonly known throughout Middle-earth as 'Fangorn Forest'.

While the orcs were doing this, Pippin crawled on his stomach to where Merry and Bruce lay still. This was difficult for him as the three of them still had their wrists bound. Eventually Pippin managed to squeeze himself between Merry who was on his left and Banner on his right. Pippin noticed that while the wound on Merry's forehead seemed to have stopped bleeding, the dry blood on Merry's face looked very unhealthy.

"Merry! Merry!" he urgently whispered to wake up his cousin.

To Pippin's relief Merry stirred and opened his eyes. He gave Pippin a weak smile before saying with slight black humour "I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin".

"At least you two were already in Middle-earth" Banner grumbled. "You did not get here after being sucked through a vortex from New Mexico".

"Bruce!" both hobbits quietly exclaimed due to their relief that Banner was conscious again.

Looking at Pippin, Banner began to apologise him "I'm sorry if I worried you earlier today Pippin. The tranq those orcs shot me with has really messed up my mind as well as from making me feel pretty sick".

"Tranq?" Pippin and Merry asked after being the first two inhabitants of Middle-earth to hear the word.

"Um…" given his drug-induced haze it took Banner a bit longer than normal to come up with an appropriate description "I mean sleeping potion".

As the orcs continued chopping wood a series of loud groans and rumbles emerged from the forest that caught the attention of the three of them.

"Is that a bear?" Banner speculated.

"We have a few bears in the Shire Bruce" Pippin advised him. "The only time I have really liked working was when I had to keep an ear out for them when I minded my Pa's beehives. I never heard any bears growl like that".

After a pause Merry turned to the both of them and said matter of fact "It's the trees".

"What?!" Banner and Pippin replied. Even though he had to whisper, the former did not hide his incredulity.

"You remember the Old Forest?" Merry asked principally to Pippin. "On the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall and come alive".

Given what Merry was saying, Banner wondered if the Brandybuck had been given some of the same drug the Orcs had shot him with.

"Trees that could whisper" Merry continued his explanation. "Talk to each other. Even move".

The company of orcs seemed oblivious to the sounds coming from the forest. Both the Uruks and the Mordor orcs concerns were more immediate.

"I'm starvin'" one of the Uruks complained. "We ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days"!

"Yeah!" a Mordor orc named Snaga concurred in a rare show of agreement with an Uruk-hai. "Why can't we 'ave some meat"? Snaga's greedy eyes rested on Merry, Pippin and Banner at which he sickeningly licked his lips. "What about them?" he asked of the three hostages. "They're fresh"!

"They are not for eating!" Ugluk advised in a tone to remind the Mordor orcs who was in charge. One Uruk grabbed Merry and Pippin and another grabbed Bruce and pulled them up from the ground. The Uruks roughly pulled them further back from the company's main group. The Mordor orcs were not ready give up their quest for a meal just yet.

"What about their legs?" Grishnakh suggested. "They don't need those. Ooh…They look tasty"!

A brawl threatened to break out between the Uruks and Mordor orcs as Ugluk forcibly shoved backed Grishnakh. "Get back scum!" Ugluk shouted being fed up with the insolence of these Mordor orcs as well as his own hunger pains.

"Just a mouthful". Ugluk spun around to see that from his voice, Snaga had sneaked up behind the three captives. Snaga had his dagger raised above Pippin. "A bit off the flank"!

The three Fellowship members did not have time to be shocked by Snaga's threat as Ugluk cut off Snaga's head with one swift stroke from his falchion. Snaga's head bounced off the two hobbit's shoulders before falling on the ground with the rest of his decapitated body.

"Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!" Ugluk sadistically proclaimed before he and the other Uruks began tearing into Snaga's remains. The Uruks holding the three captives unceremoniously dumped them to the ground as they rushed to eat one of Snaga's intestines.

"Don't ever expect these guys to win on MasterChef" Banner dryly commented in disgust.

Sensing an opportunity Merry whispered "Pippin, Bruce" before jerking his head in the direction of Fangorn. "Let's go".

The three of them began crawling on their stomachs towards Fangorn. After only a few yards the two hobbits were stopped when they each felt a heavy foot on their back. It was Grishnakh. He rolled both hobbits over before tightly pressing Merry's face with his left hand while in his right he pointed a dagger at Pippin. It took Banner a couple of seconds to realise that Merry and Pippin were no longer crawling by him. He turned to see how Pippin and Merry were now in Grishnakh's grasp. At the sight of this, Banner felt a familiar sensation throughout his body. _Nice of you to join us_ Banner thought.

"Go on," Grishnakh taunted both the hobbits "call for help. Squeal! No one's gonna save you now"!

"_Wrong puny orc!_"

Grishnakh nervously looked up at the sound of rumbling guttural voice to the right of him. He saw Banner standing in front of him with his hands still bound. Banner gave Grishnakh a powerful upward kick under the chin that sent the Orc flying backwards into the group of feasting Uruks.

"Bruce?" Pippin weakly enquired of Banner. Both he and Merry were slightly unsettled that Banner ignored him, seemingly lost in a world of his own.

As Grishnakh crashed into the Uruks midst, they were furious that he appeared to want to join in their 'feast'. Ugluk strongly pulled Grishnakh up by the throat

"Know your place you Mordor slag!" he yelled at him.

"DO YOU KNOW YOURS?" Banner asked Ugluk in Hulk's voice.

Ugluk dropped Grishnakh at Banner's question. Banner had drawn the attention of every orc in the company. Before them he broke his bonds with a tiny flick of his wrists before roughly taking off his Galadhrim cloak and shirt. He threw both items of clothing back towards Merry and Pippin.

Looking at Banner's chest one of the more stupid Mordor orcs stated "Ooh I've never ate man-flesh that 'airy before"!

Ugluk ignored the orc's remark. He drew his falchion before threatening Banner who stood less then ten yards away "It will take more than breaking your bonds and throwing around Mordor maggots for you to frighten the Uruk-hai, Man"!

Banner gave a sadistic smile before replying in his own voice "How about my party trick then"?

Merry and Pippin had only seen Banner fully turn into the 'Other Guy' in Moria. So they were as surprised as the orcs when Banner turned into Hulk in the blink of an eye. Hulk's feet tore through the Galadhrim shoes and trousers Banner was wearing. Saruman told his Uruk-hai they did not know fear. The Uruk's first battle with Hulk would painfully underscore the misplaced arrogance the former White Wizard had instilled in them.

The orcs were wide-eyed with terror as Hulk landed in their midst following a short but powerful leap. Ugluk was among the orcs squashed under Hulk's feet while others were scattered in all directions. Hulks killed a large number orcs either by punching, stamping or breaking their bones with powerful sweeps of his arms. Some orcs who were familiar with trolls assumed Hulk could be hurt like one. Just as the Moria goblins found out, even though he was two feet shorter that the smallest troll, Hulk was much more powerful than any troll found in Middle-earth.

Seeing their weapons were ineffectual against him the surviving orcs tried to run from Hulk in the direction of Isengard. Given how exhausted they were from running over the last few days the orcs' flight did not last more than a few dozen yards. Using his own formidable speed, Hulk caught up with the orcs and killed all but one of them. Hulk noticed to his right that Grishnakh lay on his back trembling in terror. Hulk walked over to him.

"Please…no…" Grishnakh pleaded to Hulk.

"SQUEAL FOR HELP THEN!" Hulk snarled in reply before crushing Grishnakh with a powerful stomp of his right foot.

Merry and Pippin were in a combination of awe and shock at what they had witnessed over the course of the last few moments. The pair of them had not moved at all from where they lay on the ground from when Hulk appeared. They both began to feel fear crawling up their spines when Hulk began striding back to them.

As Hulk stood over them, Merry squeaked at him "Are you still somewhere in there Bruce"?

Hulk gave the hobbits what looked liked a sardonic grin before he moved his right hand to his forehead as if he had a headache of some kind. With a furrowed brow Hulk began to diminish back in size until had Banner re-emerged. All that he was left wearing was Galadriel's braise.

"I don't believe it" Banner said through gasps as he rubbed his forehead. "For the first time the Incredible Hulk stopped by a drug-induced headache. And here of all places". The rush from Hulk's unplanned appearance along with the sedative still in his bloodstream, combined to return Banner to his previous partially disoriented state. Banner was at least able to look at Merry and Pippin and say "Let's cut you guys free at least".

Banner picked up Grishnakh's discarded dagger and pointed it at the hobbits. "I don't trust my coordination right now," he advised them with a wry smile "so just rub your bonds against it".

After Merry and Pippin had freed them themselves this way, Banner dropped the dagger and groggily walked over to where he had thrown his shirt and cloak. As he slowly put them back on, Pippin commented "At least you know Bruce that Galadriel's braise can do what she said it would". The three of them looked at the untorn and still snugly fitting Galadhrim braise that Banner wore before they shared their first happy laugh in days.

Merry looked at the remains of the orcs before venturing "I wonder if we should take any of their weapons or least try to find the daggers the Lady gave Pip and I"?

As if to provide an answer to the question the three's attention were drawn westwards by a loud rumbling sound in the dark distance. The rumbling was drawing closer towards them.

"Horses" Banner correctly guessed the source of the sound as he felt the vibration under his feet caused by the horses' hooves hitting the ground.

"Would orcs ride horses?" Merry speculated aloud.

"I don't know how he did Merry," Pippin told his cousin "but this morning Bruce predicted cavalry was coming our way. Perhaps its here to help us".

"Spigure of feech Pippin" Banner muddled as he corrected the Hobbit. The part of Banner's conscious that was still lucid made him sense Hulk was unlikely to make two appearances in one night.

"Even if those horses mean help, I don't think we should bet our lives on the chance it might be" Banner advised before pointing at the forest just a few yards north of the three of them. "Let's go back to our original escape plan".

At Banner's words the three of them ran into the tree line just in time to avoid detection by a company of one hundred heavily armed horsemen and their steeds that had arrived on the scene. Banner, Merry and Pippin ran deeper into the darkness of Fangorn Forest as the horsemen began to examine the remains of the orcs.

* * *

**When I first saw 'The Two Towers', I was blown away by the opening scene where Gandalf and the Balrog duelled as they fell down into the Foundations of Stone. I have tried to have my version of The Two Towers have a similar beginning with Hulk's cameo performance at the start.**

**For the record I know Legolas said "The Uruks turn north east" in the film. We have all seen maps that show the Fellowship's journey. I think Legolas' elven senses should be given their due respect by having him say the proper direction the Uruks were headed in.**


	15. Acquaintances New and Old

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

27/01/2013

This story is now up to 100 'Favourites' too. Thanks readers! My apologies for only being able to answer a handful of reviews in each chapter.

Some have asked me about them writing a LOTR/Avengers crossover. As I don't own any of the source material for either of them my advice is – go for it!

**Mikoto-chan92**: A very astute observation about Stark, Romanoff and Barton.

**Dan man:** I am still puzzled by that bit of dialogue in the film. Given his paranoia, I think Saruman would have told the Uruks to capture the hobbits but not the reason why. Even if he did, I think the Uruks would never feel they had to explain their actions to the Mordor orcs.

**elmoisemo6**: Bummer I know!

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Acquaintances New and Old**

Aragorn may have allowed himself and the five other Fellowship members a few more hours of precious sleep if he had known what fate had befallen the company of orcs. But because he was ignorant of the orcs' demise by Hulk the previous evening, the Fellowship maintained the schedule it had lived by over the last few days by rousing at dawn's first light. Part of this dawn schedule included Aragorn checking that Boromir's forehead wound continued to heal and placing a fresh bandage on it.

"A few more days and you can show your scar with pride for the rest of the world to see" Aragorn told the Captain of the White Tower.

Before the Fellowship recommenced their pursuit of the Uruks, Thor quietly enquired of Rogers about the pace the American had been running over the last few days. Thor of course understood that Rogers was holding back to support Boromir and Gimli. However, he also knew that Captain America was capable of running at speeds faster than horses for hours on end. On that basis Rogers could have easily caught up with the Uruks by himself. Rogers replied that he did not think it wise for even a Super Soldier to fight potentially dozens of Uruks by himself. The events at Amon Hen had shaken Rogers out of any complacency about the threat and capability of Saruman's forces.

Legolas looked to the east at the rising sun. "A red sun rises" he commented to no one in particularly.

Rogers had compared Legolas to an early warning radar. But like all radars, sometimes the Elf was a bit hard to read.

"I'm sorry Legolas but I don't follow you" Rogers told him.

Legolas turned to Rogers and spoke in an ominous tone that was heard by the four other Fellowship members "I fear blood has been split this past night".

Legolas' observation caused more than a few jitters among the Fellowship. As they continued their pursuit throughout the early morning, its members did not even engage in any light-hearted banter or cajoling to keep up their spirits. They came to their first stop of the day when Aragorn bent down to examine the ground for tracks.

It was a fine morning and a very still one. One thing that Rogers had noticed since coming to Middle-earth was how much quieter it was compared to his own world. There were becoming fewer places on Earth where people dwelt that you could escape even a slight background hum of artificial noises. Given Middle-earth's apparent lack of mass heavy industry and its resulting pollution, the air was much cleaner as well. Rogers imagined the way the plains of Rohan looked and felt to him must be like how the Great Plains must have seemed to the first non-Native settlers who journeyed there. Just as they were on the Great Plains more than one hundred and thirty years ago, horses were an essential part of life for nearly all the people that currently lived on the plains of Rohan.

The whole Fellowship's attention was turned south at the sound of a horse's whinny. Aragorn stopped examining tracks and walked to join the rest of the Fellowship to observe a dust cloud heading their way from the same direction. Legolas' reported to the Fellowship what he saw through the dust cloud with his elven eyes "About one hundred heavily armoured horsemen head in our direction but not because they have spotted us".

"These are the Rohirrim you all spoke of earlier?" asked Thor.

"Yes Thor" Boromir advised. "Servants of Sauron are not known to use horses so far west of Mordor. The only use Saruman would have for horses would be as a source of food for his orcs".

Before Rogers could ask what mounts that the enemies of the Free Peoples used, Aragorn remarked "Rohirrim, or Eorlingas as they also call themselves, may have no love for the Enemy but they also do not take lightly incursions into their lands. Even incursions by supposed friends".

At a quick signal of Aragorn's, the six hunters ran and hid behind a small clump of boulders just to their right. As the Rohirrim and their steeds rode past them unawares, all Fellowship members could feel the ground vibrate beneath them. They could smell the sweaty odour of the horses as well as hearing the clatter made by the Rohirrim's armour and weapons as their owners vibrated in their saddles. Once the last of the Rohirrim had rode past the Fellowship, Aragorn moved out from behind the boulders into plain sight.

"What are you doing Aragorn?!" Rogers asked with a concerned whisper. His Co-leader was going to blow the Fellowship's cover.

"Do not be alarmed Captain Rogers" Legolas assured him. "Aragorn merely wishes to speak with the Horse-lords, not engage them in battle".

"None of you reach for your weapons until they know we can be trusted" Boromir added.

Rogers thought there must be some strange codes of conduct in Middle-earth as Aragorn cried out to the Rohirrim at the top of his voice_ "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark_"?

The rider at the front of the Rohirrim's formation, obviously their leader, raised his spear with his right arm. At this signal, the Rohirrim turned sharply to their left in a manner that reminded Rogers of a school of fish. Rogers' well-trained eye noticed the individual riders within this group each had weapons and armours that varied in quality. Rogers guessed the Rohirrim army was like many during feudal times on Earth. Men spent part of the year in the military service as duty to their lord who gave them land to reside on. Usually these men had to pay for their own equipment. In practical terms this meant a conscripted peasant was more likely to die on the battlefield than a wealthy knight was. That said, the way these Rohirrim precisely manoeuvred into an ever-tightening circle around the Fellowship indicated they were still a well-trained unit. They eventually surrounded the Fellowship in a tight mass. Thor shared Rogers' sense of admiration of the Rohirrim but for a different reason.

"These horsemen's armour, their weapons and even their physical appearance" Thor whispered into Roger's ear from behind. "They remind me so much of the Norse people of Midgard of a millennium ago".

"Then hopefully they also worship you as their God of Thunder" Rogers wryly replied. "If they do, they'll give us whatever help we need and then some".

The leader of these Rohirrim moved through their compact ranks until none stood between him and Rogers, Gimli and Aragorn who faced him. Rogers noted the leader had well made scale armour with it being covered by a thick leather pad across his broad chest. The helmet the leader wore had what appeared to be a long plume of gold horse hair that fell down the back of his neck as well as its nose-guard being crafted in the shape of a horse's head.

"What business does an Elf, a Dwarf and strangely garbed Men have in the Riddermark?" the leader sharply asked the Fellowship.

Boromir was standing behind Aragorn and as such was partially hidden from the leader's line of sight. At the leader's first words, Boromir immediately knew which Rohirrim was speaking to the Fellowship. He quickly moved out from behind Aragorn before saying to the leader "Third Marshal Eomer do you remember me? It is I, Lord Boromir"!

The Fellowship noticed that a number of the Rohirrim began murmuring to each other when they realised they were in the presence of the Son of the Steward of Gondor.

Eomer, son of Eomund was the high ranking Third Marshal of the Riddermark. He was also the nephew and adopted son of Theoden, the current King of Rohan. Inwardly Eomer cursed himself for not recognising the Captain-General of Rohan's most important ally. Eomer first met Boromir when he spent a summer in Gondor just before entering into manhood. He had accompanied his cousin Theodred, the only child and heir of Theoden. Boromir selflessly took Eomer and Theodred under his wing during their visit as well as being a good military mentor. The summer stay in Gondor by the pair of Rohirrim royalty was a diplomatic gesture to help stop the widening rift in relations between Theoden and Denethor. On that basis the visit was a failure. While Rohan and Gondor were still technically allies, their rulers were barely on speaking terms for a number of reasons. Boromir, Theodred and Eomer had privately confirmed to each other though their mutual commitment to the Oath of Eorl during the later two's stay in Gondor. No matter the animosity between their fathers (his uncle in Eomer's case) they would always try to assist each other in their respective country's struggles.

Eomer handed his spear to a subordinate to his right before he dismounted off his trusted steed that was named Firefoot. He walked up to Boromir and took off his helmet before both men gave each other a short but sincerely felt bow. Rogers and Thor saw that Eomer was perhaps not much more than half an inch taller than Boromir. The Third Marshal had dirty blond shoulder length hair as well as a similar coloured short beard that clung to his face.

Eomer gave a resolute sounding apology "Please forgive me Lord Boromir for not recognising you at first - especially as you appear to be injured"!

"I thank you for your concern Lord Eomer," Boromir graciously replied as Eomer was obviously referring to the bandage on his head "but I am advised that my wound shall soon heal". Boromir then made an apology of his own "And on my friends behalf we equally ask for your pardon for intruding onto Rohan's lands without so much as the King's leave".

This side of Boromir that he had not seen before fascinated Rogers. One of the main reasons that Boromir and himself had become friends was because they were both polite, plain-speaking military men. Yet here was Boromir demonstrating he was well versed in the diplomatic arts. In both the time periods of Earth that Rogers had lived in, saluting and speaking to each other respectfully was generally considered a sufficient display of etiquette between soldiers of allied nations. But here in Middle-earth things seemed more complex where Eomer and Boromir had to exchange a series of gallant pleasantries before getting down to business.

"Lord Boromir you are, of course, welcome in Rohan" Eomer said before casting his eye over other Fellowship members but especially Rogers and Thor. "But I must say your choice of travelling companions is interesting to say the least".

"Our Fellowship may appear to be an interesting collection of representatives of the Free Peoples my friend," Boromir advised "but you have my word they are as much a friend to Rohan as I".

"I meant no offence milord," Eomer quickly reassured Boromir "it is just that I am curious that even you are wearing a cloak of the Galadhrim".

Only Rogers and Thor among the Fellowship members present did not wear the cloak that the Elves of Lothlorien had presented to each of its members. Rogers' bloody cloak was discarded by Amon Hen after Aragorn had used it to staunch Boromir's bleeding. Thor had offered Rogers his unused Galadhrim cloak as a replacement. Rogers politely declined it by telling him "I know Galadriel wouldn't mind if I said that I can never see a cloak being a genuine part of Captain America's uniform".

"Our Fellowship left Lothlorien just over a week ago" Boromir advised Eomer. "Our cloaks are a gift from the Lady who rules it with her Lord".

Eomer's eyes narrowed after what Boromir had said. "'Then there is a Lady in the Golden Wood, as old tales tell!" Eomer calmly exclaimed before commenting "You must have had no other choice but to enter Lothlorien and risk the attentions of the Lady and her dark, sorcerous ways".

For the first time in centuries, a dwarf spoke to defend the honour of a member of Elven royalty. "You speak the words of fools Lord Eomer" Gimli advised him in an insulting and patronising manner. "You speak evil of that which is fair beyond the reach of your thought, and only little wit can excuse you".

Eomer's eyes blazed at Gimli's insult. He took a couple of small but firm steps towards Gimli before threatening him in a cold fury "If you were not accompanying Lord Boromir I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground".

At Eomer's threat, the two immortals in this strange gathering of warriors drew their weapons in a blink of an eye.

"He stands not alone!" Thor bellowed at Eomer with Mjolnir raised in an aggressive fighting stance.

Pointing an arrow at Eomer with his bow Legolas quickly added, "You would die before your stroke fell"!

"_Stand down!"_

Rogers' sharp command over his shoulder to them made Thor and Legolas slowly lower their weapons. Such was the power of Rogers' voice that some of the Rohirrim who had begun to raise their weapons in Eomer's defence involuntarily lowered theirs as well. Rogers was annoyed the pair of Princes who, despite knowing better, were inflaming an already tense situation. He was also angered that they had disregarded Boromir's earlier advice and disrupted his friend's negotiations with Eomer.

Inwardly, Aragorn thanked Rogers for his actions. Aragorn thought now was the appropriate time for him to join the negotiations. He introduced himself to Eomer as well as the other original members of the Fellowship present besides Boromir.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland Realm". At a look from Aragorn the two Avengers stated their names.

"Captain Steve Rogers, United States Army".

"Thor Odinson, Crown Prince of Asgard".

"As Lord Boromir said," Aragorn resumed "all of us are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king". Boromir firmly nodded to Eomer as if to verify his companions identities and intent. The look Eomer and the rest of the Rohirrim gave the Fellowship was similar to the one the Fellowship, with the exception of Gandalf, gave the Avengers at their first introduction.

"By your leave Milord?" interrupted Eomer's second-in-command whose name was Eothain. Eothain was slightly older and shorter than Eomer and wore a helmet with a nose-guard a visor that covered just his eyes. His straw-coloured hair was of a greater length than the Third Marshal's was.

"Of course Captain Eothain" Eomer politely answered his subordinate and friend.

Eothain first prefaced the argument he was about to make "Like you Milord, I welcome the Son of the Steward into the Riddermark as if he were one of the Eorlingas". Eothain then continued "But with agents of the White Hand everywhere should we extend the same welcome to his Lordship's companions? May it not be wiser if we take them into custody first for questioning before deciding if we should trust them? Especially as two of them claim to come from lands that I suspect none of us have ever heard of"! A number of the Rohirrim murmured their assent to what Eothain had just said.

Thor darkly furrowed his brow. The Asgardian may have gained a sense of humility in recent times, but he still possessed the volcanic temper he had inherited from his father. In an almost exact impression in word and voice of how Eomer spoke to Gimli, Thor told Eothain "Openly disparage Captain Rogers or my word ever again, 'Horselord', and I shall give you and your comrades a demonstration of just how real Asgard's power is"!

Aragorn, Boromir and Rogers either sighed or rolled their eyes in exasperation at Thor's comments. The egos of the three non-Men Fellowship members present threatened to destroy what chance the Fellowship had of securing aid from Eomer diplomatically. Rather than chastise Thor a second time, Rogers decided to speak to Eomer instead.

"Lord Eomer I deeply apologise for our group's frayed tempers" Rogers politely began. "If you please let us explain why we have entered Rohan, I'm sure you'll see we pose no threat to your people or your king". Rogers noted that Boromir subtly raised his eyebrows at him to indicate he was impressed by Rogers' attempt at diplomacy.

Eomer stared at Rogers as he pondered the words the man in the strange, brightly coloured uniform had just spoken. Eomer agreed with Eothain that the Rohirrim ought to be suspicious of any strangers entering their land especially with the growing threat of Isengard. Despite Boromir vouching for his companions (and Boromir's great integrity was almost legendary), he had told Eomer that he and his companions had just come from Lothlorien. As the Lady who ruled it was supposedly a great wielder of magic, who could tell if she had cast a similar spell on Boromir as Saruman had currently cast on Theoden? On the other hand, the way Rogers ordered Thor and Legolas earlier indicated his was the voice of a military leader not a spy. Further, he had apologised for their behaviour and had respectfully addressed Eomer. Eomer decided to give Rogers the benefit of the doubt for now.

Eomer extended Rogers the same courtesy he had shown him "I'm afraid Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe Captain Rogers". After a pause Eomer regretfully added "Not even his own kin".

"What do you mean Lord Eomer?" asked Aragorn.

"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands" Eomer said to the Fellowship members plainly. "My eored is part of the twenty hundred that remain loyal to Rohan and that resist the White Hand's incursions into it. And for that, we are banished".

"Eored?" Thor whispered to Legolas.

"It is what the Rohirrim call a company of their cavalry" Legolas quietly answered.

Troubled by what Eomer had just advised, Boromir asked him "What position does your cousin Prince Theodred take on all this? As the current heir to the throne surely he would be aware of what has happened to his father"?

At Boromir's question the Fellowship noticed that an awkward silence had come over Eomer and his men.

"Theodred was gravely wounded by an orc ambush at the Fords of the Isen" Eomer sadly informed. "Before my exile I last saw him in Edoras where he was clinging to life. If you want to know how strong Saruman's sorcery is over the King, Theoden did not even acknowledge the news of his son's injuries when my sister and I told him of them".

"Altogether yours is sorrowful and troubling news Lord Eomer" Aragorn stated.

Eomer gave Aragon a nod of appreciation for his sympathetic remark. His voice then hardened as Eomer expressed his anger at Saruman to Aragorn and Boromir "The White Wizard is cunning my lords. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked". Eomer then gave Legolas and Thor a suspicious glance before adding "And everywhere his spies slip past our nets".

"We are not spies!" Aragorn quickly denied to Eomer to prevent Legolas and Thor's tempers from flaring up again "We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken three of our friends captive".

"They are a Man and two Hobbits" Boromir detailed further.

"The Uruks you refer to are destroyed" Eomer promptly told them. "They were slaughtered during the course of last night".

"Did you and your men engage them in battle?" Rogers asked to which Eomer shook his head in response.

"I think both our companies were tracking the same group of Uruks" Eomer concluded. "We were just about to take them by surprise but we found something had attacked them first. From their remains and what we could see in the moonlight, our only conclusion was that the Uruks had been killed by a wild troll of immense strength".

Thor and Rogers quickly exchanged a hopefully glance. "Hulk" they silently mouthed to each other. The four other Fellowship members silently shared the pair's conclusion about Banner but that still left the mystery of the whereabouts of Merry and Pippin.

"Did you find any trace of the two hobbits at all?" Gimli urgently asked Eomer, forgetting their previous animosity.

"Hobbits are small," Aragorn added "they, their effects and even their tracks would appear child sized".

Eomer again answered in the negative "We found no such traces or those of a Man. The only action our eored took was to pile the orc carcasses and burn them".

At a signal from Eomer, part of the eored opened up in their ranks. The Fellowship could see to the north-west a trail of rising smoke a few miles from where they stood. Inwardly the Fellowship members were deeply unsettled by what Eomer had told them. Did it mean that Banner was alive only because Hulk was now on the loose in Middle-earth? Did that mean the 'Other Guy' came out before or after Merry and Pippin had been killed? Or did both hobbits flee in fear from the battle between Hulk and the Uruks thus fracturing the whole Fellowship even further? The non-Avengers of the six hunters also silently feared that maybe Hulk could have accidentally killed the hobbits as they remembered how Hulk lashed out in Moria in an enraged state. As he contemplated these thoughts, Legolas put his left hand on Gimli's right shoulder in order to steady himself.

"I am sorry that I have no better news of your friends" Eomer softly apologised to the Fellowship before releasing a high pitched whistle. At this, the Rohirrim brought forth four unmounted steeds. Two were chestnut in colour; one was white; and another ashen grey. Eomer presented the horses to the Fellowship by saying "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters".

The ashen grey horse seemed to take a liking to Thor. "His name is Graegwind my lord" the Rohirrim who handled the horse told the Asgardian.

"It is a Rohirric name" Legolas advised while petting the white horse. "It means 'Grey Wind'".

Despite Asgard being centuries ahead of any realm technologically, horses were still its people's personal land transport of choice. Back home Thor had a magnificent white stallion as his personal steed, having learned to ride every since he was a small boy. The All-Father once told Thor that the horse was one of the greatest gifts that Midgard had every given Asgard. Considering how much he loved his Asgard steed, Thor had long resolved himself to never stop protecting Earth if only for that reason.

"Well met Graegwind" Thor quietly commented to the said horse. "I am sure your name is well deserved".

Graegwind gave Thor an unexpected kiss as if to thank him for his compliment.

Aside from the four horses Eomer also insisted in handing over to the Fellowship some fresh bandages and salve to treat Boromir's wound in the future.

"Lord Eomer please accept our Fellowship's humble gratitude for the assistance you and your eored have given us" Boromir gracefully thanked Eomer as the later made to depart. "May we all meet again under better circumstances".

"I wish you and your companions well as you search for your friends" Eomer replied before he mounted Firefoot again. After Eomer had placed his helmet back on he said to the Fellowship "But do trust to hope". Eomer's eyes focused on the distant horizon as he bitterly remarked "It has forsaken these lands". The Third Marshal then firmly ordered his eored "We ride north"! At his command, Eomer and the rest of the Rohirrim spurred their horses and rapidly left the Fellowship behind.

Left only with their new mounts, the Fellowship's eyes focused on the thin column of rising smoke to the north-west. Aragorn turned and spoke to them.

"Until we find incontrovertible evidence that says otherwise, we must continue to believe that Bruce, Pippin and Merry are still alive and need our aid" he firmly stated. "To that end we must investigate the disposed Uruk bodies to see if we can find any trace of our friends".

"We all vowed to pursue them while we had strength" Thor observed. "Speaking for myself, my strength is barely spent".

The other Fellowship members nodded their agreement at the sentiment Thor had expressed in his remarks. Despite their resolution the Fellowship did have one small problem though. There were six of them present but they only had four mounts to ride. Given Graegwind had taken a liking to him, it was no surprise that Thor was his rider. Gimli found himself having to hold Legolas from behind as the later took the reins of the white horse. That left how the three Men would ride the two chestnut coloured horses.

"You can ride with me if you like Steve" Boromir offered as he mounted one of the horses.

"It's ok thanks Boromir" Rogers replied. "I can't ride a horse anyway and I can keep with you guys by running".

Having mounted the other chestnut horse, Aragorn then said to Rogers "Yours is a noble offer Steve, but no man can keep up with a good horse"!

Rogers and Thor shared a knowing smile before the former declared "I'll race anyone who doesn't believe me to the dead orcs. The loser has to check the burnt Uruk-hai bodies"!

The only challenger to Rogers' claim was Gimli who was still smarting from Thor's earlier teasing about his sprinting abilities. Gimli dug his heels into the horse that he and Legolas were riding without the Elf's consent. The Dwarf's actions did not escape Thor's attention. Rogers watched as Legolas and Gimli's horse galloped past him.

Before Rogers ran to catch up, Thor told him with a raised eyebrow "Remember it was Gimli, not Legolas, who took up your challenge"!

* * *

Merry, Pippin and Banner had continued through Fangorn Forest feeling somewhat relieved their captors had been destroyed and the horses they heard the previous night seemed not to be following them. Banner's slow recovery from the effects of the vial's potion meant they were not able to travel quicker than normal walking pace.

Fangorn was unlike any forest the three of them had ever experienced. Fangorn seemed to be comprised of many different varieties of trees that grew thick branches and trunks This meant that little sunlight penetrated onto the forest floor. Banner thought Fangorn resembled the typical 'dark and dank' forest that one found in a lot of fairy tales. He was also surprised at how humid it was within Fangorn given that Middle-earth seemed to be of a temperate climate. Fangorn also gave the eerie impression that someone or something was always watching you. The three Fellowship members mood was not being improved as they tried to figure out the reason why the orcs had captured them.

"You remember Pip when we were spying on the Council in Rivendell?" Merry asked his cousin "When Elrond told everyone that Saruman had betrayed the Free Peoples and wanted the Ring for himself?"

"Mm" Pippin hummed his recollection. Pippin walked at Banner's left side while Merry walked at his right.

"And you also remember the reason that Gandalf didn't meet us in Bree was because Saruman captured him and kept him prisoner in Isengard?" Merry continued.

"That was because Gandalf would not tell him that Frodo had the Ring, but not before Gandalf accidentally revealed the Ring was in the Shire" Pippin recounted. As soon as he spoke these words, Pippin's eyes flashed as he figured out what Merry was leading to. "If we use some old fashioned Hobbit sense - Saruman knew that hobbits lived in the Shire, and a hobbit had the Ring but not which one"!

Merry soberly observed "It's a good thing Saruman didn't know Frodo was the Ring-bearer. If he did Pippin, I think you and I would have been the orc's supper well before Hulk woke up and rescued us".

"You guys should consider becoming Middle-earth's first private investigators" Banner observed with a wry chuckle as he pondered an agency named 'Brandybuck & Took'.

"What are they Bruce?" Merry asked.

"People pay private investigators to help solve mysteries for them" Banner advised simplifying the role's complexities.

"Well, we hobbits do like solving a good riddle" Pippin agreed.

"Well see if you can solve this one for me" Banner challenged them. "You figured out why Saruman wanted you. Why then would he want me seeing I wasn't even in Middle-earth at the time of that Council"?

Merry and Pippin pondered Banner's question for a few moments before Merry spoke.

"The only other thing I remember that was said in the Council about Saruman was Gandalf telling it that he was creating a new breed of Orc" Merry recalled. "Saruman wanted these orcs to be bigger and stronger than the soldiers of the Free Peoples or Mordor".

"The way Gandalf spoke, Saruman was doing this by mixing orcs with other monsters" Pippin added.

At the words 'mixing', 'orcs' and 'monsters' the trio began to slow in pace as understanding began to break on Saruman's plan for Banner.

Merry slowly spoke their common realisation "Bruce, I somehow think it wasn't you that Saruman was specifically after…"

At Merry's words, Banner felt a rising lump in his throat. He ran a few quick paces to a fourteen-foot tall tree. The tree had grey and brown coloured bark as well as a large patch of moss on the side that faced the three Fellowship members. Banner rested his left hand on the tree's trunk for support as he vomited at its base. Merry and Pippin ran up to support him.

"You should've told us how sick you really feel Bruce!" a worried Pippin told him.

After his vomiting stopped, Banner replied "I think I'm ok guys. If anything hopefully it's a sign that tranq is coming out of my system".

"Neither of us are a doctor like you Bruce," Merry said "but I think even you wouldn't reject our advice that you need to stop for a rest".

"Trust me Merry, I've felt worse" Banner dryly remarked.

Pippin glanced quickly up at the tree before he looked at Banner and casually commented "It couldn't have been much worse Bruce as you have woken up the tree by being sick on it".

After a moment, the three of them realised the logical impossibility of what Pippin had just said. The Fellowship members looked up at the tree to see a pair of yellow eyes blinking at them. With its eyes open, the long strip of moss on 'tree' resembled a beard that grew from a wooden nose. The trio was too transfixed by what they were seeing to avoid the two branches the 'tree' used as hands until it was too late. Merry and Pippin were scooped up in one hand and Banner in the other. As they were pulled up from the ground the three of them felt the tree beginning to move forward.

The 'tree' fixed a suspicious gaze on the trio with its yellow coloured eyes before saying in a deep, earthy voice "Little Orcs! Burarum…"

Banner found it odd that, for some reason, Hulk did not even feel threatened by this 'tree'. The shock of his present situation did make Banner feel a flush of delirium. "I'm in the grip of a walking, talking tree!" he incredulously observed, mostly to himself. "Aside from every other effect, this tranq must now be making me trip out".

"Tree?!" the 'tree' indignantly repeated Banner's description of it "I am no tree. I am an Ent". This 'Ent' did not understand the idioms that Banner to used to describe the vial's contents to comment on that though.

"A treeherder!" Merry quietly exclaimed. "A shepherd of the forest!" he added in wonder at realising the tales about the Old Forest must be based on fact.

"Don't talk to it Merry, don't encourage it!" Pippin urged.

The Ent revealed its name "Treebeard, some call me".

Pippin finally plucked up enough courage to ask this 'Treebeard' where he stood on things "And whose side are you on"?

"Side?" Banner noted by his reply that Treebeard must like repeating back what people spoke to him. Treebeard continued his answer to Pippin "I am on nobody's side because nobody's on my side, little Orc". The Ent then lamented "Nobody cares for the woods anymore".

"Get your facts right about us" Banner replied. "You didn't like us calling you a tree!"

"We're not Orcs" Merry indignantly corrected Treebeard. "We're Hobbits"!

Treebeard turned his gaze at Banner before observing "A Man I know. But I've never heard of a Hobbit before. Sounds like Orc mischief to me"! Merry and Pippin began to grimace in pain as Treebeard tightened his grip on them. They and Banner felt the vibrations from Treebeard's stomping feet as the Ent launched into an angry rant about recent orc activity in Fangorn "They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning! Destroyers and usurpers, curse them"!

"Hey, hey!" Banner slurred in anger at Treebeard. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size! I know another guy who would be more than happy to go a few rounds with you". The other three participants appeared to ignore Banner's drug-induced bravado.

"No, you don't understand!" Merry argued through the chest pain he and Pippin currently felt. "We're Hobbits! Halflings! Shirefolk!"

Treebeard loosened his grip slightly before conceding "Maybe you are and maybe you aren't". Treebeard then ominously advised "The White Wizard will know".

"The White Wizard"? Pippin nervously asked.

Merry's eyes widened in horror as he realised to whom Treebeard was referring too.

"Saruman!" he gasped.

Hearing that name Banner began to argue with Treebeard "That's a bad idea your mossiness for a whole lot of reasons"!

Almost immediately, Treebeard gently dropped the trio on the ground at the feet of the White Wizard who was clad in a bright white robe. The three Fellowship members looked up into the White Wizard's face.

Banner laconically observed "No debate - this is the worst drug hallucination I've ever had"!

* * *

**This chapter was a bit longer in length than I first planned as it only had two scenes in it. I hope no one finds any of the dialogue irrelevant to the story. It is important for plot development that both sets of Fellowship members figured out Saruman's intentions.**

**I stand to be corrected, but I can't recall in any of the movies if Captain America's running speed was given. From what research I have done, the consensus appears to be somewhere between 38mph to over 70mph. Given the stamina effects of Erskine's serum and that a well trained thoroughbred can run between 35mph to 40mph, I don't think Steve shall have much problem keeping up with riders in the Fellowship.**

**I am aware how the name 'Bruce Banner' is used in the context of drug abuse. Be advised I have not based any humour in this chapter on this metaphor.**


	16. Revelations at Fangorn

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

04/02/2013

Sorry for initially posting the wrong chapter last time. Thanks to the readers who picked it up.

**Professor A. Silvertree**: In relation to the cloak – Second Story Spoiler Alert – in a word 'no'.

**Dygen Entreri:** I am looking forward to the challenge of playing out the internal and external politics of Rohan and Gondor over the remaining chapters. Prior to his exile in New Mexico, I think Thor's diplomatic response to Eothain would have been similar to the one he gave the Frost Giant who told him "Run back home, little princess".

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Revelations at Fangorn**

The steeds Eomer had given the Fellowship proved to be a great aid as they allowed five of the six hunters to reach the site of the orc massacre in good time. As the Fellowship drew closer to the site they and their horses could smell the sickening odour the burning pile of orc bodies emitted. When they arrived at the site they could see the orc bodies stacked into a crude mound. Most of their skin was blackened from the now exhausted fire that Eomer's eored had lit to dispose of them. A half-squashed Uruk's head was at the end of a spear stuck into the ground. There were lots of broken orc weapons scattered over the site bearing witness to their ineffectualness against Hulk.

As soon as they reached the site the six hunters spread out to find clues of their friends. Aragorn had asked the Avengers what Hulk's tracks looked like. Rogers told him they were "Like a man's but much bigger". So far the only clue of their friends they had found was the bond that Banner had torn just before he turned into Hulk.

Legolas was a few yards south of the burning pile with his back turned to it as he closely examined the ground in front of him. He looked back over his left shoulder to where Gimli was. Gimli had his back turned to Legolas as the Dwarf went through the pile with one of his axes. Trying to keep his tone serious Legolas asked Gimli "Have you found anything yet Gimli"?

Gimli let out a restrained sigh while his eyes rolled skywards. He did not even bother to turn and face Legolas as he grumbled in reply "I've only just started looking Elf"! He would never forget the sight of Rogers, with unimaginable strides for a Man, speeding past him and Legolas on their horse. Nor would he live down easily the memory of arriving at the site with Rogers waiting for him with folded arms and a smug smile. Referring to Legolas, Gimli then muttered to himself "If only you rode quicker I wouldn't have to be doing this"!

With his elven hearing Legolas heard every word Gimli said and responded to him with a smile in his voice "I shall then have to try harder next time Master Dwarf".

Thor was a few yards westward of the pile before he came across Grishnakh's remains.

"Eomer's men did not burn all the orc bodies" he loudly advised the rest of the Fellowship. "Before me lays an orc that Hulk stepped on".

"I've found the legs of one that Hulk tore in half" Rogers dryly responded several yards to the east of Thor. Rogers had so far found no discernible human, hobbit or Hulk tracks. He said to Aragorn who was a few yards to his right "I don't know about you Aragorn but with the ground being so disturbed it's hard to find any of our friend's tracks".

"You are right Steve," Aragorn agreed "The tracks of the men and horses from Eomer's eored appear to be everywhere". Just like any scene investigation, the best time for the Fellowship to investigate the site of the orcs' demise would have been in the hours just after it happened.

"What is this strange device"?

Rogers turned around to face Boromir who had asked this question a couple of yards behind him. Boromir had a puzzled look on his face as he held a small white rectangle in his left hand. Rogers walked up to Boromir who passed him the object.

"It's Bruce's phone" Rogers answered. The face of Banner's iPhone was cracked and shattered. Rogers thought it looked beyond repair, both in Middle-earth and Earth. Seeing the baffled look Boromir was giving him in response to his answer Rogers said "I will tell you what a phone is later. For now let's just keep looking for other clues".

As soon as Rogers had spoken these words Gimli let out sober cry of denial "Mahal no"!

All the Fellowship members except Aragorn moved around the orc pile to gather around Gimli. The Dwarf faced them held up the charred remains of an intricately crafted wooden sheath that was now ashen in colour.

"It's one of the wee belts that the Lady gave Merry and Pippin" Gimli softly stated. At Gimli's words, the faces of a number of the Fellowship began to turn the same colour as the belt he held. Gimli gave words to the conclusion that was forming in his mind "We failed them".

"Let's not start mourning for them just yet" Rogers firmly dissented. "They could have had to loosen their belts to escape or the Uruks could have disarmed them".

"But there could also be a darker reason" Legolas intervened.

"What do you mean Legolas?" Rogers asked with a slight frown.

"It was dark. In the confusion of battle it would be easy to mistake both friend and foe" Legolas ambiguously explained. The four other Fellowship members next to him knew what Legolas was referring to.

"Think carefully your words prince-brother" Thor both advised and slightly warned Legolas. "We Avengers consider an attack on one of our number to be an attack on all of us".

Due to a combination of tiredness, worry about missing Fellowship members and his race's characteristic blunt speaking, Gimli ignored what Thor had just said.

"We all saw Hulk in action in Moria!" Gimli exclaimed. "His attacks bordered on the indiscriminate"!

As if to exemplify Thor's statement about the bond that existed between the Avengers, Rogers leapt to Hulk's defence.

"I remind you Gimli, that when you talk about Hulk you talk about Bruce!" Rogers chastised the Dwarf. "It may surprise both Legolas and yourself but at heart, Bruce is a pacifist".

Thor noted the very surprised looks that Legolas and Gimli greeted Roger's remark with. Ever the soldier, Captain America went from a defence of Banner to a counter attack of his two accusers.

"Bruce didn't choose to take on the Hulk. He only got the 'Other Guy' from a terrible accident that by all logic should've killed him. The accident meant he had to go on the run leaving behind his life and the woman he loved. Over those years he had to move from country to country trying to avoid capture by forces that wanted to use him like Saruman does now. Other forces simply just wanted to kill him"! Rogers was on the verge of shouting in anger as he added "He's no longer a fugitive, but nearly every day Bruce has to prove himself to people that he's not a threat simply because they can't see him as anything else besides Hulk"!

"Easy, Steve!" Boromir gently advised Rogers in an effort to soothe him.

Rogers took a breath at Boromir's words. Rogers finished his argument to Legolas and Gimli by calmly but bitterly observing "I knew once Hulk came out you guys would change your perceptions of Bruce. But obviously I was wrong to hope that you'd still give Bruce the benefit of the doubt after it happened".

Hidden north from the arguing Fellowship members by the orc pile an exasperated Aragorn called out "Would all of you please cease you're arguing if I told you it is over nothing"?!

At Aragorn's words an awkward silence fell over the arguing Fellowship members. After exhaling deep breathes Rogers, Gimli and Legolas exchanged a chastened 'sorry' as a form of mutual apology. The three of them joined Boromir and Thor in walking to where Aragorn was.

Rogers noted that Aragorn was further north than where he last saw him. The Ranger's back was turned to the eaves of the large forest a few paces behind him. Looking at the Fellowship members facing him Aragorn advised them "I have news both good and ill about our friends".

Aragorn held up his hands, holding in each of them small lengths of rope before explaining "Merry and Pippin's bonds were cut to enable their escape". He then pointed his left arm behind him to the ground "I have found their unspoiled tracks behind me that indicate they escaped from this place together with Bruce not Hulk"!

His spirits rising like the other Fellowship members, Rogers felt a bit guilty when he asked Aragorn "So what's the bad news"?

Aragorn worriedly raised his eyebrows before he grimly advised "The three of them chose to escape into Fangorn Forest".

"Fangorn!" Gimli gasped in concern. "What madness drove them there"?

It being the first time they had seen Fangorn or even its name, both Rogers and Thor were baffled by the reactions of the rest of Fellowship members.

"I grant you this 'Fangorn' appears to have a foreboding look to it" Thor conceded after having a second look at the dark, twisted trees in front of him. "But what exactly about this forest troubles you all so"?

"Even with our love of the woods, we Elves have avoided Fangorn Forest for many a year" a worried Legolas advised. "It is rumoured to be the dwelling place of strange powers and creatures both wild and strong".

After a nervous pause, Boromir then spoke to the rest of the Fellowship "Whether those rumours are true or not, Fangorn is nonetheless our road if we are to find our friends". After the events at Amon Hen, Boromir was willing to go into the Void if it meant finding Banner and the two hobbits.

"Boromir is right" Aragorn agreed. "But we shall need to secure our steeds as Fangorn is best traversed on foot".

The Fellowship tied their horses to the trees that marked the edge of Fangorn's southern border. They noticed the four horses shifting and snorting warily on their respective spots as if something about Fangorn had unsettled them too.

"I wonder if these steeds have better sense than we do" Gimli commented at the sight of their behaviour.

"Our Fellowship had to travel through one darkened realm before" Thor stonily recalled. "Let us hope our journey into this one comes with a much happier ending".

At Thor's words, each Fellowship member recalled Gandalf's fall at the Bridge of Khazad-dum before they penetrated into Fangorn's dark interior.

* * *

The further the six Fellowship members ventured into Fangorn, the more sporadic became the tracks of their three friends. This was due to undergrowth they encountered in addition to the forest's darkness caused by lack of sunlight. As they entered a moderately sized grove, at Aragorn's suggestion they spread out slightly to investigate it further.

Rogers came to a halt when he noticed two large and unusual tracks on the ground. If he had to describe them he would say they looked like a pair of seven armed starfish.

"Aragorn are these troll tracks?" Rogers asked.

Aragorn walked over to where Rogers was and his eyes widened at what Rogers had found. "These are strange tracks!" Aragorn observed to Rogers and himself. "Though I can assure you Steve they were not made by a troll"!

"I would have not thought Fangorn to be so humid as it is" Boromir said to the other Fellowship members.

"The air is so close in here" Gimli concurred.

"This forest is old, very old" Legolas advised them. The Elf seemed to slip into a similar monologue as he did in Lothlorien when describing the forest to the rest of the Fellowship "Full of memory…and anger"!

Legolas had no sooner said these words than a large wooden groan reverberated around the trees in the clearing. At this threatening sound Gimli, Boromir and Thor raised their weapons and began to take a fighting stance.

"The trees are speaking to each other!" Legolas exclaimed before he noticed the three Fellowship members who had drawn their weapons.

"Gentlemen!" Aragorn caught the attention of the three before moving his left arm in a downward direction. "Lower your weapons"!

As they obeyed Aragorn's command, Legolas told the three of them "They have feelings my friends. The Elves began it; waking up the trees, teaching them to speak".

"I'm sorry Legolas," a confused Rogers interrupted "but how could _trees_ even understand what your people said to them let alone having the intelligence to speak"?

"Rogers you should not think the trees of different realms are similar to those found in Midgard" Thor answered. "One of our most sacred beliefs in Asgard is that the nine realms are connected and supported by the giant ash tree Yggdrasill. We all perceive Yggdrasill in the universe around us".

Boromir picked up on the theme by pointing to the symbol embossed on one of the pair of leather vambraces he wore "We in Gondor our proud that our national emblem is the White Tree of Numenor - just like the five pointed star appears to be for America".

"I guess I can see the point you're all trying to make" Rogers conceded.

"I myself cannot" Gimli stubbornly insisted. "What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings"?

The six Fellowship members exchanged a short chuckle at Gimli's remark before Rogers began correcting Boromir "America has stars on its flag but a star isn't its national emblem".

"What is it then?" a curious Boromir asked.

Before Rogers could answer, Legolas quickly spoke something in Elvish to Aragorn with a worried tone in his voice. Aragorn whispered something in Elvish to Legolas in response as they stood side by side with their backs turned to the four other Fellowship members.

"What do the pair of you speak of?" Thor asked both confused and concerned.

Legolas did not even turn to face Thor as he replied in the Common Tongue "The White Wizard approaches"!

"Saruman!" Boromir exclaimed in quiet alarm.

"Don't let him know we've seen him" Rogers told the Fellowship. "Where is he coming from Legolas"?

"From behind that large boulder just yonder to our right" the Elf replied.

The six hunters began to surreptitiously draw their weapons in response. Rogers decided not to pull down his mask so as not to alert the White Wizard that he was getting ready to fight him.

"Do not let him speak" Aragorn warned. "Or he will put a spell on us".

"He can try but it shall take more than a spell to hinder me" Thor claimed in proud defiance.

"The rest of us do not have that luxury Thor" Boromir advised.

"Yes we must be quick!" Aragorn insisted.

"On your mark Aragorn we attack" Rogers said.

After a couple of seconds, the Fellowship members followed Aragorn's loud cry and unleashed their attacks on the White Wizard. As they turned to face the Wizard they saw he stood atop the boulder surrounded in a blinding white light that made it impossible to make out his facial features or general appearance. They could tell though the Wizard seemed to be leaning on a staff that he held in his left hand.

An arrow that Legolas shot at the Wizard burst into flames before disintegrating. The Wizard effortlessly swatted away both one of Gimli's throwing axes and Rogers' thrown shield. Aragorn and Boromir involuntarily dropped their swords as they both felt a searing heat on the hilts they respectively grasped. That left Thor as the only one holding a weapon as he still gripped Mjolnir comfortably. With a determined shout, Thor charged at the White Wizard with Mjolnir raised. As he leapt up to strike the Wizard, Thor seemingly hit an invisible barrier of some kind that violently threw him back towards the rest of the Fellowship. The Asgardian landed roughly on his backside.

"You are tracking the footsteps of a Man and two young hobbits" the Wizard said matter of fact to the Fellowship in a deep baritone voice.

"Where are they?" Aragorn wanted to know.

"They passed this way recently" the Wizard replied. Maybe he was mishearing things, but Rogers was sure the sound of the Wizard's voice was changing. The Wizard seemed to have an almost cheerful demeanour as he further advised "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you"? Rogers' eyes widened when he realised why the Wizard's voice seemed so familiar. _That's impossible!_ Rogers thought before rationalising it as a trick of Saruman's.

"If you want to comfort us Saruman then speak where our friends are!" Boromir firmly demanded.

Through the blinding white light, the Fellowship thought the Wizard seemed to give a knowing smile in response to Boromir.

"Who are you?" Aragorn asked.

Still smarting at how the Wizard had bested him a few moments ago, Thor angrily threatened "Reveal yourself Wizard! Or I swear by the All-Father I will make you do so"!

At this, the Wizard passed his staff from his left to his right hand, an action that dispelled the light surrounding him. The Fellowship finally beheld the White Wizard's face and appearance and they were shocked by what they saw. After a few seconds had past, Aragorn spoke the feelings of the whole Fellowship when he gasped out "It cannot be"!

* * *

The White Wizard revealed to the Fellowship that, despite the seeming impossibility, he was none other than Gandalf himself! It was not the Gandalf they remembered though. This Gandalf wore a spotless robe that in colour was the purest white. His head and facial hairs were this colour also. The smooth, white pointed staff he held was in stark contrast to the knotted wooden one he previously possessed. Just about the only thing that Gandalf had from when they last saw him was his kindly grey-blue eyes as well as Glamdring neatly hanging in a fine scabbard on his left side.

"Forgive me" Legolas contritely spoke to Gandalf before kneeling towards him. "I mistook you for Saruman".

"As did I" added Thor before he and Gimli copied Legolas' gesture. Thor believed that even the God of Thunder had to show some deference to benevolent beings with powers potentially greater than his own.

"I am Saruman" was Gandalf's reply in the comforting voice that Rogers identified just moments ago. "Or rather, Saruman as he should have been".

The three Men of the Fellowship members present remained rooted in shock. Galadriel was right about describing Rogers as a 'man of faith'. Rogers sincerely believed that only one person had ever been truly resurrected from the dead. Captain America became the second Avenger after Thor to conclude that Gandalf could not just be a wise old man who knew a lot about lore and magic. _Like the guy from Nazareth maybe Gandalf's a manifestation of a higher power_ Rogers thought.

"We thought you were slain during your fight with the Balrog" stated Boromir who, until now, thought that his first sight of Hulk was the most astonishing thing he had ever seen.

"You _fell_" an equally astonished Aragorn insisted.

Gandalf eyes focused on the darkness of Fangorn behind the Fellowship as he recounted to them what happened when he fell from the Bridge of Khazad-dum.

"Through fire and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.

"Darkness took me. And I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and everyday was as long as a life-age of the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again".

Gandalf then nimbly hopped down from the boulder he was standing on and was now just a few feet in front of the Fellowship. Gimli, Legolas and Thor rose to their feet and joined the three Men present in walking right up to Gandalf with barely restrained joy.

Gandalf seemed unaware of all this as his glance was now on the ground as he advised the Fellowship of his reason for standing before them "I've been sent back until my task is done".

"Gandalf!" Aragorn whispered in half delight.

Aragorn speaking his name seemed to bring Gandalf out of the trance he seemingly was in.

"Gandalf?" the said Wizard repeated before recalling with a smile "Yes... That was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name".

"Your return is a joy to behold no matter the colour you wear" Thor replied with a grin that split his face.

"Well I am Gandalf the White" Gandalf revealed with his eyebrows raised. "And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide".

"'Turn of the tide' my foot!" Rogers exclaimed. "I'd call your coming back from the dead more like a tidal wave"!

Gandalf and the other Fellowship members had a good laugh at Rogers' observation.

"However you want to call my return Captain America we must now leave this place" Gandalf said with a smile. He turned to get a grey cloak that he had hidden behind the boulder. As Gandalf put it over his white robes, the Fellowship saw it was identical to the one that the Galadhrim had given them before they had left Lothlorien. The six hunters all concluded that obviously they were not the first people that Gandalf had been in contact with since his return as the White Wizard.

"What do you mean by that Gandalf?" queried Gimli.

"It means Master Dwarf that one stage of your journey is over, another begins" Gandalf advised. "We must ride to Edoras with all speed".

"Edoras?" Gimli repeated in surprise. "That is no short distance"!

"We hear of trouble in Rohan" Aragorn told Gandalf. "It goes ill with the king".

Gandalf grimly agreed "Yes, and it will not be easily cured".

A perplexed Rogers saw that Gandalf, Aragorn and Legolas were beginning to walk southwards in the direction of the Fellowship's mounts.

"Whoa wait a minute!" he sharply told them. Seeing the trio had stopped and was now giving him their attention, Rogers sort to focus their attention on what he considered should be the Fellowship's priority. "Words can't describe how happy I am at your return Gandalf. But the six of us originally came into this forest on the trail of Merry, Pippin and Bruce"!

"We are still unaware of their current location or their welfare" Thor added.

Gandalf gave a soft smile before reassuring the pair of Avengers "The three of them are quite safe. I left them in the care of an old friend of mine who lives in Fangorn".

Boromir did not doubt Gandalf's word but he still had a nagging doubt that needed resolving "Gandalf when I last saw Bruce he had been badly injured. How is –"

"Bruce is recovering well Boromir" Gandalf responded. The White Wizard then gave Thor and Rogers a strange look before enigmatically saying; "In fact I think Master Banner shall be soon back to full health in more ways than one".

Aragorn leaned towards Gandalf and observed to him "In one thing you have not changed, dear friend".

"Mm"?

"You still speak in riddles"!

After he and Aragorn shared a quiet but knowing laugh Gandalf told the rest of the Fellowship before him "It was more than mere chance that brought Merry, Pippin and Bruce to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry, Pippin and Bruce will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains".

"It goes without saying that with Hulk, Banner can start an avalanche of his own" Thor pithily remarked that bought further grins to the Fellowship.

"A thing is going to happen that has not happened since the Elder days as well as never before in Arda's history" Gandalf continued with an ineffable air around his words. "Hulk and the Ents are going to fully waken…and find they are strong".

"I am both puzzled and troubled as to how Hulk can get any stronger" Boromir remarked.

"Trust me Boromir," Rogers advised him "once you see Hulk in full flight he will completely change your understanding of the word 'strong".

Gandalf gently lectured while pointing a finger at Rogers "In that case Steve, you would cease fretting about the welfare of our three friends".

As Gandalf turned to resume the Fellowship's journey out of Fangorn he let out a cry of "Oh I almost forgot"!

The Wizard walked up to Rogers and said to him matter of fact "I was asked to give you a message Captain Rogers".

Aragorn sensed that what Gandalf wanted to tell Rogers was meant for his Co-leader's ears only. Aragorn turned to the other Fellowship members and commanded them "Come on the rest of you"! At this Thor, Boromir, Gimli and Legolas joined him in walking towards their horses. After they had left the scene, Gandalf re-commenced speaking.

"I was not exaggerating Steve as to how I perceived time when life left me" Gandalf seriously intoned. "During this period I saw many strange wonders that continue to defy my attempts at explaining them". After he had said this, Gandalf's tone became more light "However some things I saw I would describe as 'curious' more than anything. One of them was an interesting young man who said his name was 'Bucky'". Noting that at the mention of this man's name Rogers' jaw dropped and his eyes became wide as plates Gandalf continued "He asked me to tell you that things are 'okay' between the both of you and for you to give Sauron 'hell' whatever those two words mean".

After a few seconds of stunned silence as he absorbed Gandalf's words, Rogers let out a stream of rapid-fire questions "What did he look like? Where was he? Was anyone else wi-"

"Stop Steve!" Gandalf halted him following a mirthful chuckle. "As the White Wizard I may now be more powerful than when I was the Grey but that does not mean I can answer questions more than one at a time"! After Rogers gave an embarrassed look Gandalf calmly told him "Unfortunately I have told you all I can remember. Perhaps you should not read too much into it, as it could have simply been my mind playing tricks. However, I am glad that it obviously means something to you".

Rogers had not told anyone from Middle-earth, even Boromir, about Bucky due to the pain caused by the memory of his closest friend's death. That being so Rogers refused to accept what Gandalf had told him was a delusion or even coincidence.

Rogers replied with a smile resulting from the lifting of guilt that he had carried, consciously and unconsciously, for more than seven decades "In answer to your earlier question Gandalf - you have comforted me a great deal"!

* * *

When Rogers and Gandalf had joined the other Fellowship members by their horses Aragorn said to the later "You may ride with me if you desire Gandalf".

"No thank you Son of Arathorn" Gandalf replied. "But I shall not be walking as time presses".

Gandalf took a couple steps from the other Fellowship members before releasing a piercing but melodious to whistle to the south. A moment later, the Fellowship heard horse's whinny to their left. Unlike when they had first heard Eomer's eored approaching them, this whinny indicated the arrival of just one horse. But this one horse was unlike any other. Seemingly from nowhere a magnificent stallion galloped towards where Gandalf stood. It was as white in colour as Gandalf's hair and had no bridle or stirrups placed upon it. The stallion also seemed to possess an aura of strength and nobility. Rogers noted that the Fellowship's other horses were prancing up and down on the spot they were tied to as if they wanted to charge out and greet this stallion.

"That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell" Legolas observed referring to one of the fastest and most intelligent breeds of horses that existed in Middle-earth.

"His name is Shadowfax and he's the lord of all horses" Gandalf revealed his mount's identity as he softly petted him.

Thor said, "The only steed I have seen of equal magnificence is my father's mount Sleipnir, who is as black as Shadowfax is white". After a beat Thor then added "That and the fact that Sleipnir has eight legs".

As he was the only one who was not thrown by Thor's description of Odin's legendary horse, Gandalf replied "Like Sleipnir probably has been for your father Thor, Shadowfax has been my friend through many dangers". Shadowfax released an impatient snort that Gandalf understood perfectly. "Of course you may talk with your kin" the White Wizard told his mount at which Shadowfax trotted to where the other horses were. While the Fellowship's rides were sharing group greetings, Gandalf then spoke to Rogers and Thor.

"By now both Saruman and Sauron know of the three Avengers that have joined the forces of the Free Peoples" Gandalf advised the pair of them. "One of our few advantages is that both of them do not know the full extent of the powers you each possess. They do not know, for example, that both of you as well as Hulk are capable of running at speeds at distance that even Shadowfax cannot match. With our enemies having spies in Rohan I suggest the both of you keep that ability hidden for the time being at least".

"We are also trying to win the trust of the Rohirrim and their king if our quest is to be successful" Aragorn more said. "Having been current victims of Saruman's sorcery, it goes without saying their suspicions shall be great of any man - even an inherently noble one - who is able to outrun the fastest of their beloved steeds".

After giving an understanding sigh, Rogers turned to Boromir and said "It looks like I shall be riding with you after all Boromir".

"Yes," Legolas agreed with a twinkle in his eye "an outcome that shall be of great relief to Gimli". Gimli grumbled as the Fellowship members who understood the subtext of Legolas' remark had a short laugh at the Dwarf's expense.

"How long is the journey to Edoras?" Thor asked.

"If we are not hindered during our journey hopefully by late afternoon tomorrow" Gandalf advised.

As the Fellowship headed to their respective steeds Boromir asked Rogers "I must say Steve I was surprised when you said that you have never ridden a horse before. Does not America's army have cavalry"?

Rogers explained with an awkward smile "We do have cavalry Boromir but it's not comprised of horses".

As he settled in his horse's saddle, Boromir was now even more puzzled. "That is a contradiction Steve" he argued in a friendly fashion. "You cannot have cavalry without horses".

Despite having never ridden a horse before, Rogers effortlessly jumped behind Boromir on the steed they were to share. As he gripped Boromir's waist he told him "I'll explain it to you as we ride on. As well as what a phone is".

The rest of the Fellowship members followed in Gandalf and Shadowfax's wake as they rode southwards to Edoras. Boromir and Rogers had a very interesting conversation that lasted the length of the Fellowship's travel that day.

* * *

**I know Bruce, Merry and Pippin were not in this chapter but I promise they shall return in the next one. Their appearances might be a bit fleeting in the next couple of chapters as a try to move events along in Rohan.**


	17. The Burden of Kingship

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

14/02/2013

In advice to some reviews about the last chapter - just because a character in this story interprets something in a particular way does not mean they are right in their analysis. I try and write the character's responses given what they would 'know' rather than what I know.

For example, I am aware of the plot teasers that have been publicly released for _CA: TWS_. Which is why nowhere in the last chapter does it explicitly confirm that Gandalf's vision _was_ of Bucky speaking to him from the afterlife (if it exists or not). Rogers chose to interpret it this way but that does not rule out it could mean something else entirely different. After all the character of Captain America would not 'know' what he shall face in the CA movie sequel. After everything he has been through since his revival, I thought Steve - the nice guy he is - deserved a bit of good news. But this news would be open to interpretation considering the CA sequel is due for release in 2014.

Likewise I have never tried to link this story with to any particular religion. Again, Rogers would not know what the cosmology of Middle-earth really is. Given his statement before he jumped out of the jet in _The Avengers_, I think his initial thoughts – largely from shock at the sight – on Gandalf's return were within character. But again that does not mean his thoughts were right or they reflect my own personal opinion. My only agenda with this story is to try and make it nothing other than an entertaining crossover. It is certainly not an attempt at evangelisation.

On reflection I think I should have mentioned all this in the Chapter 16 after notes.

**Lupin2020**: I do have a 'growth' moment planned for Steve like you suggest but it won't be centred on Bucky due to the reasons I have mentioned above.

**FireheartNinja:** I cannot see Comic Book Guy giving me such a generous review as yours.

**Pip4**: I thought that Bruce and the hobbits would get along well was because they were all non-warriors. You could also compare Bruce with Frodo in the sense of being forced by circumstance to carry a great and terrible power.

* * *

**Chapter 17 – The Burden of Kingship**

Midnight had fallen on the plains of Rohan. The seven Fellowship members riding to Edoras had ceased their day's travel just after sunset. Four of their number slept around a small campfire they had lit. Gimli and Boromir welcomed the opportunity to have more than the two or three hours of sleep they had been allowed over the last few days. Boromir was exhausted alone by the conversation he had with Rogers during the day on their shared steed. Boromir wished that Gondor had in its arsenal some of those metal, self-propelled vehicles called 'Abrams' that shot projectiles over long distances. Even having some of those 'phones' would be a great aid in coordinating forces over large areas.

Despite not needing as much sleep as Gimli and Boromir due to their physiology, Legolas and Rogers were not entirely immune from the need to do so. They followed the Gondorian and Dwarf in closing their eyes for a brief respite. Being an Asgardian, Thor hardly ever needed to sleep in the normal sense that many other races did. Instead he conducted a short patrol in the area around the Fellowship's campsite just to ensure there no threats in the immediate proximity. He had just returned to the campsite after having found no immediate dangers of any kind. He noticed Gandalf a few yards east of the Fellowship's campfire and Aragorn to the Wizard's right. They both appeared to be in conversation while looking at a dim, but angry red glow far to the eastern horizon. Thor walked up to Gandalf's left and caught the middle of the conversation he was having with Aragorn.

"Sauron fears you, Aragorn" Gandalf told Isildur's Heir while looking at him. "He fears what you may become. And so he'll strike hard and fast at the world of Men".

"I will stand against him with my last breath," Aragorn replied "but I do not intent to do so from the Throne of Gondor. I have never wanted that power".

"You know once due to my own vanity I almost let disaster befall Asgard". Both Gandalf and Aragorn looked at Thor who had just spoken these words. Thor continued to look eastwards as he spoke to them "In response, and in order to teach me the importance of humility to a king, my father stripped me of my title and power and exiled me to Midgard". Thor then locked gazes with Aragorn as he told him "Your problem my friend is that you have too much humility and choose to exile yourself because of it".

Seeing Aragorn frown at this, Thor explained "As kings we have great power that if used unwisely can cause many to suffer. But by the same token, that does not excuse us from our obligation to try and exercise that power in the service of what is good and just.

"I have seen you in action and noticed the way others respond to you. Like my father said to me, you're born to be a king. You should not so easily walk away from that role if that is what's required of you in order to defeat the evil that threatens this realm".

Thor shrugged his shoulders before concluding to Aragorn "Ultimately you must decide what feels best for you. But in declining your heritage do not deceive yourself you are doing a favour for the Free Peoples".

Aragorn turned his gaze downwards as he contemplated Thor's words. Thor saw in Gandalf's eyes a gleam of appreciation for what he had just said. Seeking to change topics Thor returned his gaze to the glow in the east and asked, "That is from the mountain where the One Ring was forged?"

"Yes Odinson" Gandalf confirmed. "The weapon of the enemy moving towards Mordor in the hands of a Hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom".

"I cannot help but feel all our endeavours are nothing next to the task of destroying the Ring" Thor reflected.

"We must trust now in Frodo" Gandalf stated in reply. "Everything depends upon speed and the secrecy of his quest". Noticing the troubled looks that Aragorn and Thor had as he spoke this Gandalf said to both of them "Neither of you should regret your decision to leave him. Frodo must finish this task alone".

"He's not alone" Aragorn revealed. "Sam went with him".

Thor quoted back to Gandalf words the Wizard had spoken earlier in the day "Does that comfort you"?

"It does indeed!" Gandalf acknowledged with a pleased grin at the news.

* * *

Gandalf had told Treebeard to keep Merry, Pippin and Bruce safe so the eldest Ent took the three of them to rest overnight at his home in Fangorn. His 'home' was a clearing in the forest that had a little waterfall flowing over a pile of rocks. This waterfall was no ordinary one. The water that flowed from it fell into a large catching bowl that contained a number of mysterious ingredients. The mixture of these elements led to them fermenting a drink known as 'Ent-draught' that was used by the Ents as their primary source of nourishment in Fangorn. In the golden light of dawn Bruce and Pippin both had in their hands a flat drinking bowl containing some Ent-draught. The Ent-draught had been prepared by Treebeard earlier that was contained a large stone jar. Merry remained asleep just ahead of the pair.

"I don't know what this stuff is but it seems to be neutralising the effects of the tranq" Banner commented to Pippin. To Banner, the Ent-draught smelt like a distant wood brought from afar by a cool night breeze. He added this to his mental list of mithril and pipeweed of items from Middle-earth he would like to analyse further.

"I'm just glad you are feeling better Bruce" Pippin stated. "After meeting Treebeard and Gandalf as well as having this drink, Fangorn doesn't seem so scary now".

Merry had finally woken from his slumber and walked to his two friends. "Where's Treebeard gone"? Merry asked.

"I don't know Merry" Banner answered. "I woke up before either of you and he wasn't here".

Pippin then let a strange deep sounding burp that confused Merry and Banner.

"You just said something...'Treeish'" Merry said in surprise to his cousin.

"No I didn't," Pippin dissented "I was just stretching". Pippin then stretched and let out another strange rumbling sound.

"If I didn't know better I would say that you made a sound like the 'Other Guy' would make Pippin" a bemused Banner commented.

"Did Hulk come about as a result of drinking something in a forest?" Pippin asked with a slight trace of alarm.

Before Banner could answer Merry interrupted in astonishment after comparing his own height with Pippin's "You're taller"!

"I've always been taller than you!" Pippin exclaimed.

"Pippin, everyone knows _I'm_ the tall one" Merry insisted "You're the short one".

"What does that make me?" Banner asked with some amusement.

"I don't know Bruce," Merry said "You seem to be the same height and your voice doesn't rumble. Well I mean to say that it's not rumbling like an Ent's or like Hulk's at the moment".

"Normally with Hulk I'm immune foreign elements in my bloodstream" Banner observed to the hobbits and himself. "I think that sedative got to me because that immunity was weakened by the vortex. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting back to normal".

"It goes without saying that your definition of 'normal' is not like my definition" Pippin added with a twinkle in his eye.

The three of them laughed at this before Banner said "Excuse me for a moment guys". He began to walk leftwards away from Pippin and Merry to the trees that bordered the clearing.

"Where are you going Bruce?" a concerned Merry asked him.

"Well considering I was sick on his foot I don't want to relieve myself on the equivalent of Treebeard's carpet" Banner answered with slight embarrassment.

"Oh!" both hobbits replied in understanding before recommencing their argument about their respective heights.

Banner only moved a few yards away from Treebeard's home. Before relieving himself he knocked on a tree just to make sure he was not going to wake up another Ent. _I can't believe I'm doing this just to have a leak_ he thought. After he had finished he heard what sounded like Merry and Pippin crying for help. He rushed back into the clearing to see that neither hobbit was present.

"Merry! Pippin!" he called out worried that the two had been taken by orcs. Banner heard a muffled cry in response that appeared to be coming from the roots of a tree just in front of him. He cautiously approached it before asking the roots "Are you two under there"?

Banner then noticed that Treebeard had just returned from wherever he had been. "Treebeard, I think Merry and Pippin are stuck under this tree somehow!" Banner exclaimed to the Ent. "We've got to get them out!"

Treebeard pointed at the tree and told it strongly "Away with you. You should not be waking. Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water. Go to sleep. Away with you".

At Treebeard's command the roots parted revealing Merry and Pippin under them. Banner pulled out both hobbits and helped brush away the dirt and dry leaves now in their hair. Banner was still reeling from how a tree consciously obeyed a strange flora named an 'Ent' that could walk and talk. Banner looked at Treebeard and asked him "I'm still trying to understand this forest Treebeard. Are you like the 'Lord of Fangorn'"?

"Bar-hrum that is an uncommonly kind thing of you to say Master Banner" Treebeard replied. He stretched his branched arms out wide as he explained "But it is more correct to say that Fangorn claims lordship over us Ents who are but its mere attendants. Fangorn is no longer safe. The trees have grown wild and dangerous. Anger festers in their hearts. Black are their thoughts. Strong is their hate. They will harm you if they can. There are too few of us now. Too few of us Ents left to manage them".

Banner thought his mental list was now redundant in terms of his curiosity. Under other circumstances, he would love to study and analyse the Ents and Fangorn's ecosystem even though it could take decades. Being able to communicate with a form of intelligent plant life would be worth a Nobel Prize in itself!

"Why are there so few of you when you have lived so long?" Pippin asked Treebeard in response. "Are there Ent-children"?

Treebeard responded "Bru-ra-hroom. There have been no Entings for a terrible long count of years".

"Why is that"? Merry responded.

"We lost the Entwives" Treebeard advised matter of fact to which Banner tried to pull himself away from thinking about how the Ent's reproductive cycle worked.

Pippin expressed in sympathy to the Ent "Oh, I'm sorry. How did they die"?

"Die? No" Treebeard quickly corrected him. "We lost them. And now we cannot find them. I don't suppose you've seen Entwives in the Shire"?

"Can't say that I have" Merry answered. He then asked his cousin "You Pip?" to which Pippin shook his head.

Banner advised "I don't know what they look like to recall seeing any in Middle-earth".

Treebeard said after releasing a sad sigh, "Now I don't remember how they look either. It has been nearly two millennia since we last saw them".

"After two thousand years I can understand that somewhat" Banner said. After a pause he then remarked with a trace of black humour "It's not as though you guys have eHarmony"!

At this remark Banner was the first individual in the history of Middle-earth to get puzzled looks simultaneously from an Ent and two hobbits.

* * *

The same day, the Fellowship members who had been riding towards Edoras finally reached their destination at the time Gandalf said they would. Edoras was built on a lonely foothill with the mountain range known as the 'White Mountains' to its south. Edoras was surrounded by a circular wooden wall and was accessed by a large double wooden gate on its north face. Within the wall there were a large number of small wooden and thatched buildings. At the top of the hill was a great wooden hall that Rogers assumed to be the city's administrative centre.

"Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld" Gandalf confirmed to the Fellowship members with him. "There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong".

"There's one thing I don't understand Gandalf" Rogers queried. "If the King's mind is possessed; his heir is incapacitated; and Eomer's in exile, who exactly is the ranking person in Edoras? Why aren't they standing up to Saruman"?

"Power in Edoras now resides with the King's Chief Counsellor, Grima Wormtongue, who is himself but a puppet of Saruman" Gandalf advised. "He ensures that the Uruk-hai and Wild Men that Saruman has drafted into service remain unchecked by Rohan's forces as they pillage the Riddermark".

"I would have thought his sire name would have been an obvious warning not to employ this 'Wormtongue' to such high office" Thor remarked.

"He not always known as such Thor" Aragorn said.

"Never underestimate the actions a person will take driven by – no matter how mistaken – a sense of unrequited love" Gandalf reflected. "Whatever the case all of you be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here".

The other Fellowship members followed Gandalf's lead in spurring their mounts towards Edoras. As they approached the city's gates, Rogers and Thor noticed a dusty road leading from the gate heading westwards. The road passed between two lines of small barrows leading outwards from the gate. Nine barrows were to the west of the road and seven were on the east. The barrows reminded Thor of Viking burial mounds.

When the Fellowship reached the city gate, Gandalf said to the sentries atop it, "My friends and I wish to speak with the Lord of the Mark!"

"Apologies Mithrandir," the chief sentry responded having recognised the White Wizard "it is the will of King Theoden that none should enter into Edoras. The only exceptions are the Eorlingas and our friends that come from Mundburg in the land of Gondor".

"As Mundburg is another name for the capital of Gondor of which I am its Captain-General then our company should be allowed to enter!" Boromir commanded in a regal tone that would brook no argument.

Like Eomer a couple of days before, the sentry cursed himself for not noticing the Fellowship had the Son of the Steward in its number. "Forgive me Lord Boromir for not recognising you!" the sentry apologised before hastily commanding the gate to open.

As the city gates opened with a deep wooden creak, the Fellowship noticed a green banner with a white horse emblem had sailed over the wall and came to rest just to their right. Rogers jumped off the horse he shared with Boromir to grab it before remounting. As the Fellowship passed through the gates, Rogers passed the banner to another Rohirrim sentry who accepted it with a simple "Thank you milord".

As the Fellowship rode through the main street of Edoras towards the Golden Hall, the atmosphere that pervaded the city was one silent and sombre. Edoras' current population appeared to comprise entirely of women, children and elderly men that warily stared at the Fellowship as they progressed through the city. Black seemed to be the predominant colour of clothing – either in mourning at the loss of their menfolk in war or symbolically mourning the demise in Rohan's fortunes. The look on the faces of the people of Edoras reminded Rogers of those communities in Europe had he encountered during World War 2 that had been ravaged by it. Gimli succinctly summed up the mood of Edoras "You'll find more cheer in a graveyard".

As the Fellowship approached the top of the hill that Edoras was built on, Rogers' attention was caught by the sight of a young wheaten blond haired woman who was standing in the front porch of the Golden Hall. The woman appeared to be observing the seven Fellowship members.

"Who is that woman?" he asked Boromir with a whisper.

"It is the Lady Eowyn, the sister that Eomer spoke of" Boromir informed him. "I have never exchanged more than common courtesies with her in the handful of times I have met her previously. I think much to her brother's chagrin, Eowyn is renowned as the most famous Shield-maiden of Rohan".

"I'm sorry what's that?"

"A woman who has chosen to fight as a warrior" Thor advised who was riding beside Boromir and Rogers. "Asgard is home to many shield-maidens including my good friend the Lady Sif whom I have had the honour of fighting alongside in many battles".

"Unlike your Lady Sif, Eomer tells me that his sister is yet to taste combat despite her requests to do so" Boromir said. "I think the Third Marshal and King Theoden would prefer to keep that way".

Eowyn had retreated back inside by the time the Fellowship reached the stairs leading up to the Golden Hall. As they dismounted, Thor noticed the intricate wooden carvings of horses on the outside of the Meduseld. So much of what he had seen of Rohan and its people reminded him of old Scandinavia that the similarities could surely not be just a coincidence. When – if – he returned to Asgard, Thor would deeply investigate this seeming link between Rohan and the Midgard culture he most identified with.

The seven Fellowship members reached the top of the stairs with Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and Boromir in front and Gimli, Rogers, and Thor behind. The Fellowship was met by a group of half a dozen soldiers in ranks of three by two. Unlike the composition of Eomer's eored, these Rohirrim had a standard uniform and armour. They wore a sleeveless, full-length scale hauberk as well as a fine wool cloak dyed green and edged with a red and gold pattern. Five of these Rohirrim wore a helmet featuring a visor with cutouts for the eyes and a tall metal crest of horse's head from which flowed a mane of horsehair. Given their high quality armour as well as fine weapons they seemed to be carrying Rogers had no doubt these soldiers had to be members of the King's body guard.

The only one of the six soldiers not wearing a helmet stood in the middle of the front row. He had a thick head and beard of red hair and was quite broad at the chest. Gandalf's eyes twinkled as soon as caught sight of this man.

"Hama!" Gandalf cried in friendly recognition. "It is indeed an honour that our Fellowship should be met by none other that the Captain of Rohan's Royal Guard"!

Hama gave an awkward smile in response before replying "I cannot allow you before Théoden-King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame". Seeing a number of the Fellowship respond with furrowed brows at this announcement, Hama sought to apologise by way of explanation "By order of Grima Wormtongue". The way Hama spoke Wormtongue's name through clenched teeth left the Fellowship in no doubt what the Captain of Rohan's Royal Guard thought of Rohan's Chief Counsellor.

"Understood Captain Hama" Gandalf acknowledged before handing him Glamdring in its scabbard. "Come on the rest of you," Gandalf prompted the other six Fellowship members "we are among friends here".

The front rank of the Fellowship handed over their weapons before Aragorn and Boromir stepped back to let the back rank hand their weapons over in turn. Gimli reluctantly handed his axes over, while Rogers handed over his pocketknife and straight razor in addition to his shield. Thor first handed over his Galadhrim helm that the guard in front of him took with his left hand. There was a dark gleam in Thor's eyes as he passed Mjolnir to the guard's right hand.

_CRACK!_

The guard dropped the hammer immediately due to how immensely heavy it felt. Mjolnir fell on the stone paving at his feet causing it to crack. The guard bent down to pick up Mjolnir but the legendary hammer didn't budge as he strained to lift it.

"What is it Cynric?" Hama asked the guard in question.

"I'm sorry Captain," Cynric apologised "but I have never encountered a hammer of this size with such a weight".

Hama tried to pull up Mjolnir with both hands but fared no better than Cynric. Thor had a neutral expression on his face as he watched the Royal Guard try and move Mjolnir. But on the inside he was enjoying the trial that Hama and his men were going through for having dared to relieve him of the weapon that had no equal in power. Gimli had to cover his mouth to stop himself laughing at the sight.

"I think you've made your point about how you feel about surrendering you hammer" Rogers quietly told Thor out the side of his mouth.

At this, Thor insincerely apologised to Hama and the other guards "Forgive me Royal Guardsmen. I should have warned you that Mjolnir is a heavy burden for those not used to its weight! Allow me to place it under your supervision with my friends' weapons".

As Thor did this, Hama noticed that Gandalf still held his staff in his right hand. Hama gestured to it and said to the Wizard "Your staff".

Thor who had finished setting down Mjolnir was now just behind Hama. Because Gandalf had reminded Thor of Odin in so many ways, it was no surprise that he had come to see the White Wizard in a paternal light. It was for this reason that he sincerely spoke the half-truth in the question he asked Hama "Has Rohan's suspicion become so deep that it must force an old man to relinquish the walking stick he needs as his support"?

Hama seemed to relent at this and allowed Gandalf keep his staff. Legolas offered Gandalf his right arm to lean on as if to underline the Wizard's supposed frailty. Hama then began to lead the seven Fellowship members into the Meduseld. As Gandalf passed by Thor the pair exchanged a quick wink in understanding.

The Fellowship entered the Golden Hall through a pair of ancient wooden doors. Hama stiffly bowed at the waist to where King Theoden sat on his throne before standing aside to let the Fellowship pass. Hama stood next to his second in command Gamling who was a thin man with a light brown beard.

The inside of the hall was a study in contrasts. The craftsmanship of the Hall was impressive with it being long and wide with its wooden walls standing on a smooth stone floor. The Hall had intricately carved wooden columns to its left and right upholding its lofty roof. Banners and tapestries of Rohirrim and their horses adorned the Hall's walls. But for all that craftsmanship, the atmosphere of the Hall was dark and gloomy and not just due to the lack of light streaming in it.

At the end of the Hall was a dais with three steps and in the middle of the dais was a gilded wooden throne. Sitting on the throne was a withered old man that had heavily wrinkled skin, straggly grey hair as well as eyes that looked to be blinded with cataracts. Rogers thought the best description of Theoden's apparent state of health was 'zombie'. Sitting to the left of Theoden on a simple wooden stool was a man almost equally pale in colour as the King who wore a heavy black ermine robe. The man had greasy shoulder length black hair and cold blue eyes. For those Fellowship members who had never seen him, they all concluded this man had to be Grima Wormtongue. Thor noticed Wormtongue whisper something into Theoden's ear.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden-King" Gandalf commented with raised voice so Theoden could hear him at the opposite end of the hall.

Gandalf released his hand from Legolas' arm and began to walk by himself towards Theoden. The other six Fellowship members fell in behind the Wizard. Boromir and Thor were the two Fellowship members leftmost of Gandalf. The former quietly said to the later "To our left and right". Thor noticed to the Fellowship's left and right its members were being shadowed behind the hall's columns by a group of five burly men on either side. Obviously these ten men were Wormtongue's hired thugs. "I see no problem" Thor replied.

After Wormtongue whispered something in his ear, Theoden laboured out craggily "Why should I…welcome you, Gandalf…Stormcrow"?

"A just question, my liege" Wormtongue agreed before rising from his own chair and walking towards Gandalf. Drawing himself to his full height of 5'4" Grima sneered at the Wizard "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell spell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest"!

"Be silent! Keep your forked tongue behind you teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Gandalf sternly rebuked before raising his staff. Grima gave a nervous gulp at the sight.

"His staff! You traitor Hama, I told you to take the wizard's staff!" Grima exclaimed before signalling to this thugs to disarm Gandalf of the said staff.

The thugs rushed towards the Wizard and the other Fellowship members moved to intercept them. Gamling began to draw his sword out of concern for Theoden's safety but Hama stayed his hand. Hama was not fooled by Thor's bluff outside the Golden Hall about Gandalf's staff being just a walking stick. Hama had heard the tales about the wonders that Mithrandir had performed over many long years with his staff. By allowing Gandalf to keep his staff, Hama hoped that the Wizard would be able to cast a spell that would free Theoden of the evil magic that Saruman and Wormtongue had cast over the King. When he first entered the Rohan Royal Guard, like all its members Hama was required to swear an oath that he would value the King's life above his own at all times. As he was now the Guard Captain, that oath meant more to Hama now than when he first swore it. If the price of Gandalf freeing his King was forfeiting his own life, Hama felt he was doing no less than what his oath required of him.

Wormtongue watched in dismayed as his thugs proved to be no match for the six Fellowship members in their fist fight. More accurately, his thugs were no match for the two strangely clothed men that were in its number. The one with a blond beard and red cloak picked up a thug in each hand as if they were infants before throwing them into a hall column knocking them out cold. The one in the bright blue, white and red uniform had the reflexes of a cat as he nimbly dodged intended blows before replying with punches that knocked out his thugs with a single blow. The four other Fellowship members barely had to be involved to stop any of his thugs from trying to take Gandalf's staff.

When Wormtongue saw Rogers take down the last thug standing he panicked and began to flee towards the main doors of the hall. He was so intent on observing Rogers unarmed combat prowess that he failed to see that Thor was directly in his path. Thor allowed Grima to run straight into his powerful chest that caused the Chief Counsellor to ignominiously fall on his backside. Thor roughly pulled up Wormtongue by the collar with his left hand.

Thor warned Grima with an arched eyebrow "As of now, I am the only thing that stops the rest of Edoras from killing you. Should you wish to remain alive you shall follow my advice to remain completely still".

Now the threat from Wormtongue and his men had been neutralised, Thor and the other Fellowship members saw Gandalf standing at the base of the dais of the King's throne.

Gandalf closed his eyes and gently raised his left hand before saying to Theoden "I release you from the spell".

After Gandalf had spoken he, the other Fellowship members and the courtiers within the Golden Hall were slightly unnerved by the menacing laugh that come from Theoden.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!" he gloated.

Gandalf threw back his Galadhrim cloak in response. A blinding white light now exuded from Gandalf. Theoden was thrown back against his throne at this display from Gandalf who now revealed to Saruman his power was now much greater then when he was the Grey Wizard.

As Gandalf pointed his staff at Theoden while stating "I will draw you Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound"!

At this point Eowyn entered the Golden Hall. Seeing her uncle struggling she immediately starting rushing to Theoden's side. Before she could get close to Theoden, she was held back by Aragorn and Rogers.

"Wait" Aragorn told her.

"Let Gandalf help your uncle" Rogers added. To Rogers this whole display of magic by Gandalf was analogous to a priest trying to exorcise a demon from a possessed person.

"If I go…Theoden dies" Saruman threatened in his own baritone voice through Theoden.

"You did not kill me, you will not kill him!" Gandalf countered.

"Rohan is mine!" Saruman boasted in desperation as he felt his grip on Theoden slipping away.

"Begone!" Gandalf strongly commanded.

In desperation, Saruman made Theoden lunge at Gandalf. The new White Wizard countered the old's move with a sharp sweep of his staff that caused Theoden to be thrown back into his throne again. Theoden let out a moan and began to slump forward in his chair. Aragorn and Rogers released their grip on Eowyn who rushed up to catch her uncle from falling further forwards. Gandalf gave a deep sigh of exhaustion now that Saruman had been expelled from the King. Rogers rushed up to Gandalf and put a hand on his shoulder to check the Wizard's wellbeing. Gandalf gave him a satisfied smile indicating he was fine.

At his niece's touch, Theoden raised his head and with the exception of Gandalf, all in the hall was stunned by what they witnessed. Before their very eyes, Theoden seemed to become younger in a matter of moments with colour returning to his skin as well as his white hair line receding. Instead of white, the hair on his head and goatee beard was now wheaten blond in colour. Even Thor marvelled at the sight of this as not even Asgard had the technology to 'de-age' someone in a manner similar to what just happened to Theoden. Clarity and recognition returned to Theoden's eyes as he looked at his niece in front of him.

"I know your face" he whispered before touching Eowyn's check. "Eowyn…Eowyn"!

Eowyn broke into a relived smile while tears of joy spilled out of her eyes as she realised the nightmare of Saruman's possession of her uncle was now over. Theoden then noticed Gandalf and Rogers standing before his throne.

"Gandalf?" Theoden asked the Wizard. "Why are you here and who is the strangely dressed young man beside you?"

"Simply breathe the free air again, my friend" Gandalf replied.

Theoden stood up from his throne to the happiness of his courtiers. Hama and Gamling exchanged barely restrained smiles of joy that their liege had returned in body and spirit.

"Dark have been my dreams of late" Theoden commented mostly to himself before he stared at his hands that were slightly trembling.

Gandalf advised him "Your fingers would remember their old strength better…if they grasped your sword".

At Gandalf's words, Hama rushed up to Theoden and presented to him the King's sword that was named 'Herugrim', hilt first in its scabbard. Theoden wrapped his fingers around hit before firmly withdrawing it. Rogers mentally compared Theoden's actions to the tale of King Arthur withdrawing Excalibur from the stone. Like the tales around Arthur, Theoden seemed to grow in stature with his sword in his hand.

Throughout Theoden's restoration, Grima had tried to subtly free himself, but Thor's grip was stronger than that of an iron manacle. Grima now began to tremble when he and Theoden locked gazes and the King gave him a murderous glare. Grima hoped that Thor's vow of 'protection' also extended to the King's wrath.

* * *

Now Theoden was free of Saruman's influence, Thor had handed Grima over to the custody of Hama and Gamling. The two most senior members of the Rohan Royal Guard firmly grasped Grima on either side as they dragged him outside the Golden Hall. They poured out every ounce of anger and disdain they felt towards Grima as they threw him down the stairs with a powerful throw. Grima cried in pain as he hit the stairs hard. He felt blood pouring out of a split lip before he noticed Theoden menacingly approaching him with Herugrim in hand.

"I've only ever served you, my lord!" he beseeched Theoden as he began pulling himself backwards down the stairs as if to avoid Theoden's wrath.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" Theoden hissed.

As there was now a large mob of Edoras residents behind him, Grima stopped moving and resorted to grovelling to Theoden in order to save his own life "Send me not from your side"!

Grima's words only enraged Theoden further who raised Herugrim above his head to deliver a killing blow to Grima. Before he could bring down his stroke, Theoden found his hands in the firm grip of Thor who has to his right.

"Let not the first act of your restored freedom become one of vengeance Theoden-King!" Thor exclaimed. Thor did not dispute that Wormtongue deserved the end of the King's sword. But as Odin showed him with Loki's punishment, the fate of even the most base of traitors should be as the result of an act of justice not revenge. Even kings should not place themselves above this principle in passing sentence on one of their subjects.

"Yes milord!" Aragorn insisted "Enough blood has been spilt on his account".

After a pause, Grima sprung up from the ground but was caught by two regular Rohirrim sentries. After considering Thor and Aragorn's words, Theoden commanded to the sentries "Let him go. I cannot stomach the thought of him being within even a hundred leagues of my presence"!

As the sentries released their grip, Grima began jostling though the crowd behind him screaming "Get out of my way"! Grima eventually mounted his own steed before galloping towards Isengard at full speed.

Noticing the crowd before Theoden, Thor advised them "Your liege-lord is now free from Saruman's sorcery"!

"Hail, Theoden-King!" Aragorn proclaimed at which the Rohirrim present knelt on one knee in homage to Theoden. Thor and Aragorn followed their gesture in a sign of respect to Theoden.

As Theoden noted this he realised someone important was missing.

"Where is Théodred?" he asked no one in particular. "Where is my son"?

* * *

**Sorry for this update being a bit later than normal but work was the reason why. I assure readers that I do not intend to have too great a length between chapter updates. If I am planning to take an extended break from writing I shall let readers know.**

**When I first saw The Two Towers I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw Theoden 'de-aging'.**


	18. Intelligence Gathering

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

21/02/2013

**elmoisemo6**: LOL! [Author stands and applauds your wit]

**majorbee:** Having previously read and enjoyed some of your stories I am honoured by your praise.

**Lunatic Pandora1**: I think throughout Marvel's history that a few characters besides Thor wielded Mjolnir, as they were worthy to do so – CA being one of them.

**vincent1875**: Yours is a thought that I have had as well.

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Intelligence Gathering**

It was dusk the day after that the Fellowship had arrived at Edoras. Rogers was walking down Edoras' main road towards the city's gatehouse. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and brown breeches the Rohirrim had leant him while his uniform was being washed.

It had been quite a day and Rogers decided to go for an evening walk to clear his mind. In the morning Theodred's funeral was held. He was buried in the funerary mound that had been set aside for Theoden. Although he did not understand the language, Rogers easily detected the grief in Eowyn's voice as she sang a lament while her cousin was laid to rest. Rogers had never been to the funeral of a national leader before. Part of his readjustment since being revived was catching up on the history of the US and the World that took place in the seven decades while he was frozen under ice. He was sad to learn that President Roosevelt had died a few weeks prior to the defeat of the Nazis in World War 2. In the couple of times he met FDR as Captain America, he was so in awe of the man Rogers felt like the shy kid from Brooklyn again. Rogers remembered when he watched the footage of the President's funeral how he had to force down the sorrowful lump he felt in his throat.

Rogers had reached the gatehouse and a sentry stood in front of the stairs that led up to its lookout. He recognised the sentry as the same one he passed the banner to yesterday afternoon.

Rogers gestured at the stairs while asking the sentry "Do you mind if I go up and take a look?"

"As you returned our banner and help free King Theoden, you are doubly welcome to do so milord" the sentry replied.

Rogers climbed the stairs until he reached the top of the gatehouse where he was greeted by a couple of sentries. Rogers walked to the parapets of the gatehouse and for a brief moment looked to the northern horizon. Theoden and Gandalf who were by Theodred's burial mound quickly captured his attention. He could not hear what they were saying but he noticed Theoden began to sink to his knees as his body was racked by sobs. Rogers' heart went out to Theoden. During Theodred's funeral, Theoden presented a king's facade of strength and calm on his face as if to reassure his people. But today's funeral was also about a father burying his son, where the later's life was stolen away in its prime. Rogers wondered if it was he was in Theoden's place if he would have had the strength the King showed earlier today.

As Gandalf appeared to have finished speaking some words of comfort of Theoden, Roger noticed to the east a horse carrying a young girl and boy. As soon as the boy fell from the saddle, Rogers vaulted over the gatehouse ignoring the surprised reactions of the gatehouse sentries. As soon as he hit the ground, Roger started sprinting towards the two children. He understood why Gandalf and Aragorn had asked him and Thor to keep their abilities under wraps. But as far as Rogers was concerned he would not keep his abilities a secret if the lives of innocent children were on the line.

As soon as Rogers reached where the two children were he reached to where the boy had fallen on the ground. He guessed the boy was around twelve or thirteen years old and the girl about ten or eleven. Rogers felt with his fingers the boy still had a regular pulse and had presumably fell off the horse due to exhaustion. He began to lift the boy up from the ground. He noticed the girl had begun to sob at the boy's plight.

"Don't worry sweetie, he'll be alright" Rogers moved to reassure her.

The girl said through her tears "Mama sent us".

"Why did your Mom send you?" Rogers asked while silently concluding that the two children had to be siblings.

Rogers was surprised to see the boy had opened his eyes before quietly croaking "The orcs…are here to kill us…"

* * *

Evening had now come and Rogers sat on a table bench in the Golden Hall. He sat directly facing the brother and sister whose names were Eothain (Rogers thought that maybe it was a common male Rohirrim name) and Freda. The children were eating a meal of hot vegetable soup and bread. It was the same meal the Fellowship had for supper that, much to the delight of Thor and Gimli, also included a cup of mead. Gimli sat on a table bench behind Rogers with his back facing to him. Aragorn and Boromir sat on the same table bench facing Rogers' back and towards the Golden Hall dais. Legolas and Thor stood directly behind the two Men. Gandalf was sitting in Grima's old seat next to Theoden who had returned to his throne. Hama and Gamling stood to the King's left.

Rogers and Eowyn had spoken to Eothain and Freda earlier. They had come from a village in the Westfold of Rohan that had been subject to a raid by Uruk-hai and Wild-Men about two days before. Their mother had got them onto their family's horse to ride to Edoras to raise the alarm about the attack. Rogers wondered if Rohan had any medals or decorations for civilian bravery as these two kids surely deserved one. Eowyn was relating the pair's story to Theoden, Hama, Gamling and the Fellowship.

"They had no warning" Eowyn advised referring to the children's village. "They were unarmed. Now the Wild-Men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree".

"Where's mama?" Freda asked with a young child's concern about a parent's absence they could not understand.

"Freda I promise I'll do everything I can to help find your Mom" Rogers gently told her. "But right now we just have to be a bit quiet so the Lady and the other grown-ups can talk to the King". Freda slowly nodded her head in understanding as Eowyn placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

Rohan's Ruler had his left hand across his forehead pondering the ill news from the Westfold. Taking Rogers remark as a cue, the Wizard lifted his left hand up towards the children as he advised Theoden "This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children". Gandalf leaned forward and placed his right hand firmly on the arm of Theoden's throne as if to emphasise the point "You _must_ fight".

Aragorn continued the theme "You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak. Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king".

Theoden sprang up from his throne and began walking towards Aragorn as he replied "They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Eomer cannot help us".

"But our company crossed paths with Eomer not more than three days ago sire" Boromir informed Theoden. "You only need one good rider to find him and Eomer would then quickly mobilise the men under his command".

Thor added, "Despite Wormtongue's banishment, Eomer and his men have not neglected the defence of Rohan. They take the fight to the White Hand as we speak. The only thing they desire is that they fight under your banner milord".

After releasing a sigh Theoden firmly stated "I know what it is that you all want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war".

Thor and Legolas exchanged a look at Theoden's remark. The King of Rohan seemed to be in denial of the danger faced by his country. Maybe it was a result of Theoden feeling guilty over Saruman's manipulation and blaming himself for the death of so many of his own subjects including his own son. Aragorn took it upon himself to point out cold reality to Theoden.

"Open war is upon you" he said matter of fact to Theoden. "Whether you would risk it or not".

By the way Eowyn looked at Aragorn, Rogers guessed his Co-leader had crossed a big line as he had in effect told the King his assessment was flat wrong.

Theoden coldly responded to Aragorn "When last I looked, Theoden, not Aragorn was King of Rohan".

Rogers rolled his eyes when he heard Gimli give a small burp from the mead he was drinking. Gandalf had gotten up out of his chair and approached Theoden.

"Then what is the king's decision?" the Wizard firmly asked to force the issue.

Theoden looked at the Captain of the Royal Guard before ordering him "Hama, tomorrow morn I want you and other heralds to speak at every public square in Edoras. With the exception of a handful of sentries the whole city is to evacuate to Helm's Deep the day after tomorrow". Theoden then looked at Gandalf "Gandalf my old friend, if you can, please find Eomer and ask him and his riders to meet us there".

Gandalf simply replied "So be it Theoden-King".

Theoden looked at the Fellowship members before excusing himself "I must take my leave my lords. There are matters I need to discuss with my court".

Rogers, Aragorn and Boromir stood in their places as a sign of respect to Theoden as he exited the hall with Hama and Gamling following him. Eowyn then spoke to Freda and Eothain "Come you two. I will take you to your room as you both must be feeling exhausted".

Much to Rogers' surprise as Freda got up she walked over to him and gave him a firm hug before telling him "Good night milord".

"Sleep tight Freda" Rogers replied after returning her hug. After Eowyn had exited with the children, Aragorn turned to Boromir and told him "I know Boromir I promised we would head to Minas Tirith with all speed after we had rescued our friends".

"Indeed you did" Boromir confirmed matter of fact to Aragorn. The Son of the Steward then gently added "You will also remember that I swore to follow you as my Captain and King. If you believe our path should turn to Helm's Deep, then I will follow you there without hesitation".

After noticing a smile curling on Gandalf's lips at Boromir's remark, Rogers then asked the other Fellowship members "At the risk of sounding a complete idiot what's Helm's Deep"?

"It's the great stone fortress of Rohan, Steve" Gandalf answered. "It was built millennia ago when Gondor had barely been founded. It is a good two to three days walk west from here".

"Helm's Deep has been Rohan's place of refuge" Boromir expanded. "It has never been breached by an enemy".

"More than 250 years ago the great Riddermark king Helm Hammerhand had a famous victory there" Legolas added. "It is in his honour the fortress is so named".

After taking in this information Rogers said, "I understand why a number of you advised Theoden to meet Saruman's forces head-on. But by the same token I can see where he's coming from".

"What do you mean Steve?" Gandalf asked.

"I mean no offence Gandalf, but I don't know if you've engaged any Uruk-hai in battle yet" Rogers politely replied. "If a large force of them come knocking on Edoras' front door its wooden walls aren't going to hold them. Particularly with the number of men Theoden seems to have under his command here".

"No offence taken Steve as yours is a good argument!" Gandalf responded with a twinkle in his eye.

"But Rogers you would know that by hiding behind walls, whether they be wood or stone, the Rohirrim deprive themselves of acting as cavalry which is their weapon of greatest advantage" Thor argued.

"I grant that Thor but Theoden also has to worry about the safety of his subjects particularly as most of them are non-combatants" Rogers countered. "At least at Helm's Deep they can wait for reinforcements to arrive before going on the offence while civilians find refuge in a safe place. It's not as though the Uruk-hai carry explosives..."

* * *

As morning broke on Edoras, Hama and several heralds followed the King's orders by publicly advising its residents to begin preparations to evacuate the city. Gandalf was walking to the Royal Stables being followed by the six hunters. As they walked they observed that Edoras was a flurry of activity with its residents loading wagons and carts with supplies as well as children and elderly family members prior to tomorrow's journey to Helm's Deep. The Fellowship was still debating the merits of the evacuation order.

"They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight!" Gimli argued in reference to the Rohirrim. "Who will defend them if not their king"? Gimli's remark earned his right shoulder a backhanded slap from Thor. Thor liked Gimli's blunt speaking manner. Nonetheless one did not publicly denigrate a king who you are the guests of. Especially not in front of his subjects when that king was not present to defend himself.

"Steve was right about Theoden only doing what he thinks is best for his people" Aragorn countered. "Like Boromir said, Helm's Deep has saved them in the past".

As the Fellowship entered the stables Gandalf warned them "There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre".

"With our Fellowship as part of its defence, if Helm's Deep is attacked it will not be the Rohirrim who shall be massacred" Thor defiantly stated.

"The forces of Isengard may yet test the strength of even an Avenger, Odinson" Gandalf warned him. "Let us hope you will regain more of your powers in time for the battle that lies ahead".

The group had reached the stall where Shadowfax was held. Aragorn and Rogers were right behind Gandalf as he entered the stall. Gandalf quietly spoke to both men "Theoden has a strong will but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need both of you before the end, Aragorn and Steve. The people of Rohan will need you. The defences have to hold".

After a pause Aragorn confirmed "They will hold".

"Nonetheless Gandalf try not to take too long in coming back with Eomer and his men" Rogers said with a wry smile.

Gandalf replied with raised eyebrows "Mithrandir or the Grey Pilgrim. That's what they used to call me Steve. Three hundred lives of men I've walked this earth and now I have no time". As Rogers tried to mentally calculate Gandalf's age, the Wizard mounted Shadowfax. Gandalf spoke to the six hunters "With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East".

"We shall eagerly await the White Wizard's return at the appointed hour" Thor answered.

Aragorn opened the stall gates and simply said to Gandalf "Go".

At this, Shadowfax bolted out of the stall galloping almost at full pace. The six hunters did not even bother to follow the Lord of the Mearas as he carried Gandalf out of Edoras to begin the search for Eomer's forces.

"It is strange that we thought we had lost Mithrandir in Moria only for him to return to us a few days ago. Now he leaves us once again" Legolas philosophised to the remaining Fellowship members with his gazed focused on the Stable's open doorway.

"For the sake of Rohan, hopefully Gandalf's second return to us shall not take as long as his first did" Boromir grimly remarked.

* * *

Eowyn had been busying herself in the Golden Hall overseeing the packing of some of the royal effects to be taken to Helm's Deep. In one chest she found a sword in its scabbard. With a glint in her eye she pulled out the sword and ran he hand along the flat of its blade. Her thoughts were interrupted by a polite cough behind her. She turned around to see it was Rogers who was dressed in his brightly coloured uniform again.

"I beg your pardon Ma'am" Rogers apologised. "I just wonder if there's anything you need a hand with here".

Eowyn smiled at Rogers before replying "Yours is a most kind offer Captain Rogers. But all is in hand within the Golden Hall".

"Steve, please" Rogers advised. Noticing the sword that Eowyn was holding Rogers asked her "Is that your sword Ma'am"?

"No Steve it is merely a decorative one we have within the Golden Hall" Eowyn informed him. She then noticed Rogers had his shield on his back with two straps that allowed him to carry it like a pack. "If I may say Steve," the Shield-maiden began "I have never seen a shield similar in kind to the one you carry".

Rogers took off his shield and handed it over to Eowyn for her to feel it. Eowyn could see that Roger's shield was a metal one but it felt so much lighter than the wooden ones that many Rohirrim used for protection.

"Is this shield of elven make?" Eowyn asked Rogers as she looked at the star emblem on the shield's face.

"No Ma'am" Rogers politely corrected her. "Like me that shield is proudly made in America. That's the country I'm from".

"Oh" Eowyn simply acknowledged. She had never heard of a land called 'America' before. It was something she would like Rogers to educate her on but his shield was currently of greater interest.

"I assume Steve you use this shield just for light skirmishing?" Eowyn asked as she handed the shield back to Rogers. "It does not seem to have the weight to give sufficient protection during heavy combat".

Rogers gave a nervous smile before offering "If it's not a breach of royal protocol would the, er, Shield-maiden care to test that sword on it"?

Rogers noted that Eowyn's eyes lit up like two tiny suns as soon as he had spoken these words. Eowyn normally had to beg her uncle to allow her to have a sparring session with some of the Royal Guard. Yet here was an undoubtedly skilled warrior actually offering her a chance to test her martial prowess. She quickly took up position with the sword before releasing a downward strike on the shield.

The sound of Eowyn's sword hitting Rogers' shield grabbed the attention of the servants within the Golden Hall. Rogers barely worked up a sweat in blocking Eowyn's attacks but allowed her the opportunity to attack him from her front foot. Rogers thought that Eowyn would be more than capable of holding her own against the orcs that he had fought during his time in Middle-earth. Obviously as Rohan appeared to be a feudal society, he expected the idea of women in combat went against the grain of its male rulers. Rogers admitted that even he was still getting used to the idea of women serving on the frontline in the America he now resided. Nonetheless Rogers thought that by not allowing its shield-maidens a more active combat role, Rohan was depriving itself of a good many skilled soldiers.

Noticing that he and Eowyn had the full attention of the Golden Hall, Rogers thought it might be best to end their sparring session quickly. He did not want Eowyn to get in trouble with her uncle any more than she might be already from having this mock duel. As Eowyn followed through with a rising cut from a back guard stance, Rogers rapidly lowered the edge of his shield. The shield firmly struck the sword's blade causing it to clatter out of Eowyn's hands. With the sparring session over, the servants within the Golden Hall resumed their packing duties.

"Your follow through needs some work Ma'am," Rogers said to Eowyn before complimenting her "but aside from that I'm impressed".

"Steve is right milady. You have some skill with a blade".

Rogers and Eowyn turned to see that Aragorn had spoken these words. He was facing the pair of them with his back turned to the Golden Hall's doors.

Rogers noticed that Eowyn's voice got noticeably colder as she replied to Aragorn while she sheathed her sword "Women of this country learned long ago: Those without swords can still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain".

Rogers and Aragorn exchanged a look at Eowyn's remark before the later asked her "What _do_ you fear, milady"?

"A cage" Eowyn stated as she looked straight at Aragorn. "To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valour has gone beyond recall or desire".

Rogers roughly translated the meaning of what Eowyn just said to be she wanted to test her mettle on the battlefield. Given her training as a shield-maiden as well as the love she had for her country this was understandable. However, from his experience of Middle-earth, Rogers thought that General Sherman's observation that "All war is hell" applied here as much as it did in his own world. He wondered how to put this to Eowyn without sounding patronising. Fortunately Aragorn knew the right response to her words.

"You are a daughter of kings, a shield-maiden of Rohan" he reassured her. "I do not think that would be your fate".

After a beat Rogers asked Aragorn "Sorry Aragorn was there something you needed to ask us"?

"Yes Steve" Aragorn confirmed bringing his attention back to the here and now. "I wanted to know if you would prefer to ride or walk to Helm's Deep".

"I don't think it'll surprise you if I say I'd prefer the later" Rogers replied. He then added "Although I heard Gimli complaining that he has to start travelling again after only a couple of days break"!

As the Fellowship's Co-leaders shared a quick chuckle, Eowyn offered to them "Master Gimli can rest on my steed if he wishes. I have not had the pleasure of conversing with a dwarf before and it would help pass the time on the way to Helm's Deep". Eowyn then looked at Rogers before stating "You would be welcome to join the pair of us Steve. I would very much like to know about your America".

"It would be a pleasure Ma'am" Rogers answered.

"If you will excuse the pair of us milady" Aragorn said, "there are matters the both of us need to discuss with the other members of our Fellowship".

Eowyn nodded in understanding. Just before he left with Aragorn, Eowyn asked Rogers "Steve"?

"Yes Ma'am"?

"Please call me Eowyn".

* * *

Within the Tower of Orthanc, Saruman paced the floor within his chamber. He was seething at how Gandalf had managed to free Theoden from his spell.

"Gandalf the White! Gandalf the Fool! Does he seek to humble me with his newfound piety?" Saruman hissed with a twinge of fear that his former friend now seemed to be his equal in power. He was interrupted by Wormtongue's voice at the chamber door.

"There were six who followed the wizard. An Elf, a Dwarf and four Men" Rohan's former Chief Counsellor told him.

Saurman had been told by his sentries of Grima's arrival at Orthanc. In some ways Saruman had hoped that Theoden would have killed Wormtongue after being released from the spell. While Grima was in his service, the fact was Saruman despised him as much as any of the Rohirrim. Saruman found it pathetically easy to recruit Grima as an agent with the promise of being given the Lady Eowyn with whom he was infatuated. Previously Grima had asked if Saruman could make Eowyn fall in love with him with a spell. The former White Wizard cruelly replied that there existed no magic that powerful. He had refrained from killing Grima for the time being as he was keen to obtain more information about Gandalf's travelling companions.

Saruman lightly sniffed the air before he disdainfully told Grima "You stink of horse".

Getting the hint, Grima stood back from Saruman as far as possible within the chamber. Saruman allowed the fear to build up in Grima for a few seconds before ordering him "Tell me about the four Men".

Wormtongue wiped some more blood from his split lip with a cloth before replying "One was Lord Boromir from Gondor while another was one of the Dunedain Rangers, I thought. His cloth was poor. And yet he bore a strange ring, two serpents with emerald eyes. One devouring, the other crowned with golden flowers".

At this Saruman walked over to one of his bookshelves and pulled down a green, leather bound book. He flicked through its pages until he found a drawn image of the ring that Grima described "The Ring of Barahir" Saruman remarked largely to himself. "So Gandalf Greyhame thinks he has found Isildur's heir. The lost king of Gondor. He is a fool. The line was broken years ago". He closed the book with a loud snap that startled Grima somewhat. As he placed the book back into its place, Saruman ordered Grima to resume with a cold "Go on".

"The other two men were tall and possessed strength and reflex the likes of which I have never seen" Grima continued. "One looked and spoke like a Rohirrim even though his clothing clearly indicated he was not".

Saruman sat down in a chair to ponder Grima's report. After a few moments had passed by, Grima prodded him "Milord"?

"Quiet worm I am thinking".

Saruman had little doubt that the two strange men were the ones he saw in the palantir that used a shield and war hammer respectively. However, it would appear that Gandalf did not have accompanying him any hobbits or the short man that could turn into the indestructible green monster. From other sources Saruman had learned that the three Men called themselves 'Avengers'.

Saruman's scouts had reported to him that the orcs he sent to attack the Fellowship at Amon Hen had been destroyed near Fangorn but no trace of their hostages could be found. If the hostages were in Sauron's hands, Saruman knew he would be one the first to know about it. So that meant that the One Ring was at large somewhere in Fangorn or the Riddermark.

However, now that Theoden was free of his control Saruman could no longer discount that Rohan may now try to resist the White Hand. Not that the Rohirrim posed much of a military threat. But given time they could with Gandalf's leadership mobilise a significant enough force to fend off Isengard's current incursions into their lands. All things considered, Saruman thought his best option was to eliminate Rohan so he could resume unhindered his search for the One Ring and the Avenger who could radically alter the shape of battles in Middle-earth.

"I must step up my plans" Saruman eventually remarked. "Rohan must fall. It will begin at Edoras".

"Theoden will not stay at Edoras" Grima advised him. "It's vulnerable, he knows this. He will expect an attack on the city. They will flee to Helm's Deep, the great fortress of Rohan. It is a dangerous road to take through the mountains. They will be slow. They will have women and children with them".

Saruman's raised his eyebrows at this as a thought took shape in his mind. He rose from his seat and grabbed his staff and began to walk out of the chamber. "Follow me worm" he ordered Grima without even a backward glance.

Before too long, Saruman and Grima were within the caverns of Orthanc. They approached an orc chieftain from the Misty Mountains named Sharku that Saruman had recruited into his service. Sharku sat on a rock overlooking a deep pit where wolf-like snarls and shadows emanated from.

Saruman gave Sharku a bone-chilling smile as he ordered him "Send out your warg riders"!

* * *

**I thought Saruman's appearance in an earlier chapter was going to be the only one until events in The Return of the King. I guess I had fun writing his thoughts the first time that I had to do it again.**

**I have a feeling that Steve might begin thinking he is a jinx in relation to Isengard's forces.**


	19. The Road to Helm's Deep

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

02/03/2013

Thanks for everyone's continued reviews and comments. Obviously there is some speculation of a blossoming romance between Steve and Eowyn. Please keep in mind that as a single, 39 year old male I am probably more clueless about the feelings of young women than what Steve is.

Bruce, Merry and Pippin are still in recovery so their next appearance is probably a chapter away.

**WolfishPennings**: The answers to those questions I am still trying to figure out myself.

**gunman:** Hopefully the Battle of Helm's Deep I have in mind will better meet your expectations. What happens to Haldir and the Galadhrim will be an important part of this.

**Kai-Aala**: I have a few ideas in relation to Gondor and I am looking forward to writing the chapters that include them.

* * *

**Chapter 19 – The Road to Helm's Deep**

The evacuees from Edoras stretched in a long line as they travelled westwards towards their destination of Helm's Deep. The evacuees included the Fellowship, Theoden, his court and a few dozen cavalry and infantry. But the overwhelming number of evacuees were those residents of Edoras the Fellowship had observed when they had entered the city. A few fortunate ones had wagons or carts or pack horses to carry the elderly or infant family members. The rest had to carry their meagre possessions on stretchers or their own backs. The evacuees grew in number on the march as they were sporadically joined by refugees from outlying villages and farms that had been attacked by Saruman's forces. That said, at least the morale of the Rohirrim was good due to their belief that they would be safe once they reached Helm's Deep.

It was past noon on the second day since Edoras had been evacuated. The Fellowship members had placed themselves apart while still being in reasonable proximity to each other. The one exception was Legolas who had volunteered to act as a scout for the evacuee column. Riding Graegwind, Thor had earlier in the day conversed with Hama who was riding his own steed. The Captain of the Royal Guard spoke with pride that his eldest son Haleth was commencing training with Eomer's eored later that year. Thor was now riding to the left of Theoden who was riding his white stallion named 'Snowmane'. Boromir was riding at Theoden's right. For the first time since Amon Hen, Boromir was no longer wearing his bandage although the scar from the Uruk's shield blow was still visible on his forehead.

Boromir was advising Theoden of the current military situation in Gondor. Despite his relationship with Denethor being at its lowest ebb, Theoden felt no animosity towards the Steward's eldest son. Boromir was regarded as one of the finest military strategists in Middle-earth and Theoden considered he was fortunate that Boromir was there to advise Rohan in its struggle with Isengard. With sadness, Theoden privately recalled how Theodred came back from his summer in Gondor positively idolising Boromir.

His conversation with Thor was an entirely different experience. Theoden had never heard of any realm named 'Asgard' before but as Gandalf vouched that Thor was its Crown Prince he had no reason doubt the realm's existence nor Thor's title.

"Forgive me Prince Thor if I appear to have trouble comprehending what you have told me of your father's realm" Theoden told the Asgardian. "I have no doubt you are a man of your word. But if only a quarter of what you have told me of Asgard is true, it would surely rival Valinor in power and splendour"!

"Valinor?" Thor queried.

"It is another name for the Undying Lands that I think Legolas spoke to you earlier of" Boromir explained. "Aside from being the final destination of the Elves, Valinor is also the realm of the spirits that Eru Iluvatar has tasked to watch over Middle-earth".

"All we Men know of Valinor's magnificence are from myth and rumour told down through the Ages" Theoden added.

"Milord I am still trying to find a way back to Asgard" Thor informed Theoden. "Should the way open, and in exchange for the generous hospitality you have shown our Fellowship, I will try to arrange for you to visit Asgard and be my guest there. There you can see for yourself if the All-Father's realm is all you imagine it to be".

Theoden smiled for the first time in days as he replied to Thor "Thank you I would like that Prince Thor. I would be happy to visit Asgard just to see what it is like to travel across a rainbow"!

Several yards ahead of the three national leaders Eowyn held the reins of her steed as she guided it with Gimli on its back. Rogers was to her right and Aragorn was just a few yards behind the three of them riding his own horse. The previous day, Rogers had acted as a scout for the column a position that he had swapped with Legolas for today. He finally was able to talk to Eowyn about his home. Eowyn was staggered to learn that this 'America' was nearly seventy-fold the size of Rohan and as for its population – surely not even Sauron had that many orcs under his command! She could never see herself exchanging a trusty mount for one of those carts called 'automobiles' that seemed to the preferred method of land transport in America. However, Eowyn was curious to travel in one of those 'aeroplanes' so she have a taste of the freedom that birds derived from being able to fly. Conversation turned to family.

"Eomer and I have been raised by our uncle ever since we were children" Eowyn told the Fellowship members to her left and right. "My parents died when we were quite young. Losing Theodred was to me like losing a brother".

Rogers nodded in understanding before replying "I'm sorry about your folks and cousin Eowyn. The rest of my family is long since dead and I have no family of my own". He thought it best not to tell Eowyn that spending seven decades in suspended animation was the major reason why.

Thinking the conversation was becoming a bit morose Gimli tried to raise the pair's spirits. "You're a handsome and strapping young lad Steve". Gimli observed with a twinkle in his eye. "But you really do need to grow yourself a beard. Once you do, all the ladies will be demanding your favour"!

Rogers raised a quizzical eyebrow at Gimli and asked him with restrained sarcasm "Is that your theory Gimli or is it from experience? If it's true you must have a line of dwarven women longer than the Anduin wanting to date – sorry, court – you"!

Eowyn burst out laughing at Roger's wit. Even Gimli seemed to take it in good humour as he responded with a wink "By not allowing your ladies to grow beards, you Men don't know what you're missing out on"!

"I'm not even going to think about that thanks Gimli" Rogers replied with a light chuckle.

"Unfortunately Gimli because Rohan has had no dealings with your people for such a long age, we know so little about your family structures" Eowyn advised slightly more seriously. While she was a shield-maiden and wanted to fight like her brother did, she would not do so if it meant she had to grow a beard similar to Eomer's!

Gimli began to educate Eowyn and Rogers on the subject** "**It's true you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men. And this, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women". Despite resting one of his axes on his left shoulder, Gimli waved his hands around as he continued "And that dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground"!

Rogers and Eowyn laughed at Gimli's remark. The Dwarf joined in the pair's merriment before he concluded, "Which is of course ridiculous"!

Gimli had become so animated about this discussion that he accidentally spurred Eowyn's steed with his legs. The steed took this as a signal to go into a canter. Gimli let out a startled cry as his ride's change of pace caught him completely by surprise. After the horse had moved a few yards forward, Gimli unceremoniously fell off his ride hitting the ground with a noticeable thud. The small commotion grabbed the attention of those in the column in the immediate vicinity. Eowyn rushed to Gimli to check on his welfare while Rogers ran to catch Eowyn's steed. As soon as he caught the horse's reins he heard from behind him Gimli trying to save face by proclaiming "It's alright, it's alright. Nobody panic. That was deliberate. That was deliberate".

Rogers quietly whispered to Eowyn's steed "We both know that's not true". After Eowyn's steed appeared to snort its consent, he turned around to look at his two travelling companions. Although her back was to him, Rogers perceived that Eowyn seemed to be gazing towards Aragorn.

* * *

It was moderately overcast the following morning. Legolas and Rogers agreed to exchange the role of scout at around noon. That being the case, Rogers found himself towards the middle of the column walking between Boromir and Thor who were on their mounts to his right and left respectively. The three Fellowship members spoke in hushed tones.

"I mean to offence to the Lady," Boromir said to the two Avengers quietly "but last night did either of you taste the stew Eowyn made"?

"I would not have even given it to a Frost Giant to eat" Thor remarked as he bitterly recalled the taste of the said stew.

"Gimli and I must have missed it when he and I went to check on Legolas" Rogers informed. "There was this old lady who insisted on giving the three of us a small platter of ham and roast potatoes she had cooked. She said she wanted to reward the 'heroes' who rid Edoras of Grima Wormtongue".

After a moment or two had passed, Thor said to Rogers "Given that happened Steve, I shall volunteer to take your place as a scout. It is only fair that you face the dangers of the Shield-maiden's cooking like the rest of us have".

The quiet chuckle the three of them shared was interrupted by what appeared to be a commotion coming from the front of the column. Soon they all heard the word 'Wargs' that was passed down the column. The word seemed to cause great distress to many of the Rohirrim civilians.

"What are wargs?" Rogers asked Boromir.

"A giant breed of wolf that the Enemy uses for mounts" Boromir replied. "Wargs may be animals but it is no exaggeration to call their nature 'evil'".

The three of them heard Theoden's call _"All riders to the head of the column"! _ At this the three began heading towards the location of Theoden's voice. Seeing that the column was under attack, Rogers thought Gandalf would agree on the need for him to move with haste. It went without saying that many in the column temporarily lost their fear of wargs as they witnessed open-mouthed how Rogers kept up in pace with the steeds that his two friends were riding.

Boromir, Thor and Rogers were at the front of the column in quick time. Thor noticed to his right that Gimli was on the white horse that he had shared with Legolas since Eomer had given it to the Fellowship. The horse seemed to be stubbornly remaining in its place despite Gimli trying to urge it forward. "I shall go help our Fellowship's Dwarf" Thor told Rogers and Boromir before he broke away from them.

Rogers and Boromir found themselves standing left of Eowyn who was about to mount her steed. The pair of them had no doubt what Eowyn was planning to do. Unfortunately for her those plans came to a quick end when Theoden trotted up on Snowmane to Eowyn.

"You must lead the people to Helm's Deep. And make haste!" Theoden commanded his niece.

"I can fight!" Eowyn insisted.

"No!" Theoden firmly rebuked her before speaking to Rogers. "Captain Rogers can you please ensure the safety of my niece's person while she leads the column to the fortress"?

"Yes sir" Rogers replied without hesitation.

Eowyn was livid at her uncle's order to Rogers. Being denied another chance to engage in battle was bad enough. But for her uncle to imply that she could not defend herself from enemy attack was worse - even if the soldier that Theoden asked to be her bodyguard was Captain America.

"I have no need of escort Uncle!" Eowyn indignantly stated. "I'm a Sh-"

Eowyn stopped arguing when she felt Rogers firmly grip her left arm with his right hand. Rogers thought that by touching Rohan's ranking lady he had probably breached an even bigger royal protocol than when Aragorn argued with Theoden in the Golden Hall. He appreciated why Eowyn felt upset but with battle about to be joined now was not the time to argue with her uncle.

"I'd like to stay and fight alongside my friends as well" Rogers said to Eowyn quietly. "But your uncle is in charge of this column and he has given each of us a direct order. Let's give him one less thing to worry about before he risks his life in battle".

The anger in Eowyn's face drained after Rogers had spoken. After slowly nodding her agreement to this advice, she walked towards the civilians in the column and shouted at them "Make for the lower ground! Stay together"! Rogers turned around to face Theoden who gave him a small nod of appreciation before turning to join the riders under his command. Rogers then looked at Boromir who was to his right. The two friends shared a knowing look before Rogers said to Boromir with a simple optimism "See you at Helm's Deep".

"Until then my friend" Boromir replied before spurring his mount towards the oncoming battle. The two Captains did not give even the slightest of backward glances as they went their separate ways. In comparison Eowyn and Aragorn shared a last look before the later rode off with the other riders of the column.

Thor had managed to spur Gimli's mount forward and the Dwarf was now riding unsteadily alongside him. As the company of riders neared the slope of a hill, Thor noticed a badly mauled body of a Rohirrim lying on the ground next to the bodies of the warg and orc that had killed him. Thor closed his eyes in regret when he realised the Rohirrim's body was none other than Hama. As Thor approached the crest of the hill he noticed that Legolas had been firing arrows at the oncoming wargs being ridden by orcs. There appeared to be dozens warg-riders charging at the column's riders. The way Legolas stopped the horse Gimli was on and effortlessly vaulted on to its back demonstrated reflexes an Asgardian would be proud of.

In response to the warg's howling and snarls, Theoden lead the column's riders in replying with a defiant cry. The wargs reminded Thor of Asgard's victory against the monster wolf Fenris. Fenris was eventually subdued at a heavy price including Thor's kinsman Tyr, the Asgard God of War who lost a forearm in the struggle. _After what happened to Hama I will show those wargs and their riders far less mercy than what Asgard gave Fenris_ Thor thought. "And unlike my kinsman Graegwind, I have no intention for either of us to lose a limb in the process" Thor quietly told his steed.

Falling back on his actions at Amon Hen, Thor aimed and threw Mjolnir at the warg that was coming straight at him and Graegwind. There was a loud crack as Mjolnir broke the warg's skull causing it and its rider to tumble to the ground. Thor then summoned Mjolnir back from the ground into his right hand. Theoden and the Rohirrim did not have time to be amazed at the hammer that flew back into the Crown Prince of Asgard's hand as they collided with the warg-riders head-on and began to engage them in combat.

As soon as Mjolnir had returned to his hand Thor struck a warg-rider to his right with it. The orc rapidly flew backwards off his mount as a result of the hammer's power. Before the orc's warg could sink its yellow fangs in Graegwind, Thor responded with a swinging blow to the warg's right temple that killed the beast immediately.

The battle between the column's riders and the warg-riders was very chaotic. As he rode through the battle Boromir thought there seemed to be little unit cohesion displayed. The battle had degenerated essentially into a series of individual duels. If the Rohirrim were fighting other horseman this would not be too much of a problem. But in this battle, a Rider of Rohan had to fight not just an orc but the warg the orc rode as well. A lot of Rohirrim were dismounted or killed when a warg attacked their horse first.

As he engaged in combat Thor tried to keep track of the other Fellowship members in the battle. Thor became slightly concerned when he saw Gimli standing on the ground in a defensive stance. As Gimli prepared to receive a warg's lunge at him, Legolas shot it with an arrow from horseback. "That one counts as mine!" an indignant Gimli told Legolas before he had to defend himself from another warg attack. Thor inwardly chided himself that he had completely forgotten about his 'friendly' competition with Legolas and Gimli before he crushed the head of a warg-rider with a downward strike of Mjolnir. His attention was soon caught by more pressing matters.

Theoden showed good agility for a man his age as he parried and defeated a pair of enemy attacks to his person. The Royal Guard gave their all to protect his person, but there were not enough of them to ensure that Theoden was well protected from all sides. In some ways Theoden had welcomed the opportunity to engage these warg-riders. It allowed him to vent some of the anger he still felt within him over Saruman's possession spell as well as Theodred's death. He thought he was about to join his fallen son when he was caught unawares by a riderless warg that leapt straight towards him. A fast moving blur hit the warg on the side of its head before propelling its lifeless body a few yards to Theoden's right. Theoden then followed the Mjolnir's movement back into the hand of Thor. Now that Theoden knew who had rescued him he said to Thor "My thanks Prince of Asgard".

Thor simply gave a nod in response before proclaiming "Enough of this milord. No more of your riders shall fall this day"!

To Theoden's astonishment Thor leapt off Graegwind and began running at an impossible speed for a Man. Thor released a battle cry fiercer than any warg's howl while twirling Mjolnir at a rapid speed in his right hand. Thor's actions had caught the attentions of many of the combatants including Legolas and Boromir. With his red cloak flying behind him, Legolas thought Thor resembled a whirlwind of death as he struck warg after warg in rapid succession. The Avenger scattered countless wargs and their riders in all directions with his twirling hammer while he moved at speed even faster than what Rogers had earlier demonstrated. Legolas and Boromir were so fixated on Thor they failed to notice that Aragorn was struggling to free himself from a warg that was blindly charging towards the edge of a cliff.

Unnerved by what they were facing in the form of the God of Thunder, many warg-riders immediately broke off their attack and began galloping towards Isengard on their mounts in a tight pack. To the deadly surprise of the warg-riders and their mounts, they found that Thor was more than capable of keeping up with them in speed. Thor found it trivially easy to run up to the fleeing wargs and cripple them from behind by striking the end of their spines with Mjolnir. The half dozen surviving war-riders that managed to free themselves from their now crippled mounts now had to face Thor on foot. The Avenger killed them all within seconds.

After he had finished this rampage Thor noticed a group of Rohirrim riding up behind him. The Rohirrim began plunging their spears and lances into any of the immobilised orcs and wargs strewn over the ground. Wargs that were in their death throes expressed the pain they felt with grating cries and whimpers. Odin often worried about the cruel streak that his heir sometimes displayed during his darker moments. This was such a moment as Thor began to jog back to where the other Fellowship members were. He ignored the looks he was getting from the Rohirrim as they paused from killing the crippled orcs and wargs. In reference to the dying wargs, Thor coldly told the Rohirrim as he passed by "Personally I would leave them to suffer".

Thor's vindictiveness quickly dissipated when he returned to the main group of the column's riders. Many riders had dismounted and were tending other riders lying on the ground. Those grounded riders who were not dead instead released a cacophony of painful cries due to the battle wounds they had sustained. Other hale riders had the grim duty of having to dispatch wounded horses that had no chance of recovering from their injuries. Given the love they had of their horses, Thor was not surprised to see a number of Rohirrim had a tear running down their cheeks as they conducted their mercy killings.

Thor came across Gimli whose arms were flailing helplessly as he was on his back under the weight of two warg's corpses. As Thor began to pull Gimli out from under the warg's remains, he tried to lighten the Dwarf's (and his own) spirits by commenting "You should feel flattered Gimli. The orcs and their wargs could not kill you by blade or fang so they had to resort to squashing you".

"I'm sure the Elf planned for me to be in this position!" Gimli indignantly grumbled referring to Legolas. "On that basis our competition doesn't count"!

"Seeing I actually forgot to count, I am with you Master Dwarf" Thor agreed before giving Gimli a supportive pat on the back.

Boromir walked up to the pair with a concerned look on his face. Without any formality he asked Thor and Gimli "Have either of you seen Aragorn"?

"Nay" Thor answered while shaking his head. "I lost track of him not long after the engagement started".

The three Fellowship members began to call out Aragorn's name and grew increasingly nervous when the Ranger did not respond to their calls. They noticed that Legolas was searching the ground just ahead of a cliff edge. It was the same cliff that earlier, Aragorn had been involuntarily heading towards. The three of them began walking to the Elven Prince in the hope that his keen senses had located Aragorn. Legolas had heard the trio of Fellowship members approaching him as well as their calls for Aragorn and turned to worriedly advise them "I have found no trace of Aragorn either".

It was then that the four Fellowship members heard a snigger from a dying warg-rider close by them. It was no other than Sharku himself. Thor walked over to Sharku and pulled him by his collar with both hands. Sharku's feet were not even touching the ground as Thor glared into his eyes with a burning hate.

"If you know what happened to our friend then tell us!" Thor angrily threatened the orc chieftain. "If you do so, I shall give you a merciful death which is more than any orc deserves"!

"He's dead!" Sharku chortled. He was enjoying that his dying words would break the spirits of such a representative group of the Free Peoples. After a cough he provided the brief details of Aragorn's demise "Took a little tumble off the cliff"! At Sharku's information Boromir immediately raced towards the cliff edge just in front of them.

"You lie!" Legolas exclaimed to Sharku with uncharacteristic anger. The Prince of Mirkwood refused to believe that such a great Man as his friend had been killed by a cliff fall. Not when Middle-earth most needed Aragorn to finally accept his destiny to be the King of Gondor.

Sharku gave a horrible gurgle before he expired in Thor's grip. Legolas, Thor and Gimli noticed an object fall softly from the dead grip of Sharku's right hand. Legolas bent down to pick it up. The three of them widen their eyes in horror when they saw the object was the pendant of the Evenstar. Thor angrily threw Sharku's body aside before he followed Legolas and Gimli in joining Boromir at the cliff's edge. The cliff was steep with its face bottoming out at a rocky river bank. The river flowed to the west at a great speed. The four of them could find no trace of Aragorn either on land or in the river. The four were in such shock that not even Legolas noticed that Theoden had come up behind them.

"Milord what are your orders"? The Fellowship members turned around at the sound of Gamling's question to Theoden.

"Get the wounded on horses" Theoden answered. "Despite Prince Thor's deeds I suspect these are not the only wolves in the service of Isengard". After a pause, and despite the sorrow he felt for so many of his fallen subjects around him, Theoden then coldly added, "Leave the dead".

"Until we see his body Aragorn is not dead!" Thor defiantly declared with a touch of grief and denial. "We will join you at Helm's Deep after we find our friend"! Theoden noted by the look in Legolas and Gimli's eyes that they intended to follow Thor. Theoden was not surprised by their reactions to his orders but he was surprised by who spoke in defence of his authority.

"What would Aragorn have us do?" Boromir rhetorically asked his other Fellowship members. "Unless proven dead, he and Steve remain our Captains. If we still honour them as such, we should carry out their last order to us. That order was for our Fellowship to assist with the defence of Helm's Deep as highest priority"!

Boromir realised he sounded just like Aragorn did when he ordered the Fellowship to move on to Lothlorien after Gandalf's fall in Moria. Boromir believed the combined pride of Legolas, Thor and Gimli would tower over Mount Doom. So Boromir was relieved that none of them remonstrated with him as he did with Aragorn outside of Moria. Boromir wondered if the Ranger felt as awful at that moment as he currently did.

Despite their feelings on the matter, the three non-Men knew that Theoden and Boromir were correct. They each looked down the cliff face as a poor farewell to Aragorn before they headed back to their steeds. Graegwind sensed something was wrong with Thor and gave him a tiny horse kiss. "Thank you my friend" Thor murmured in response before mounting his steed. Holding on to Legolas, Gimli looked over his right shoulder to see Thor starting to ride east – the opposite direction of Helm's Deep.

"Thor!' Gimli called out to him in concern. "Where are you going lad"?

"I will be but a moment Gimli" Thor replied without even to turning to look at the Fellowship members behind him. "There is something important the Rohirrim forgot to collect".

Thor quickly rode back to where Hama's body was. As soon as he dismounted Graegwind, Thor respectfully removed Hama's sword and scabbard that the Captain of the Royal Guard apparently never had a chance to use to defend himself. Thor then walked over to the corpse of Hama's steed and removed a blanket that was carried behind its saddle. Thor gently placed the blanket over Hama's face before holding it down with the Rohirrim's helm. After a moment, Thor then spoke to Hama's covered corpse.

"Leaving your body behind is a poor reward for the King to give so loyal a Captain. But you have my word I shall give your sword to your son so he may carry on your proud legacy when he rides with Lord Eomer".

Thor then mounted Graegwind and urged him forward to join the remaining riders as they travelled to Helm's Deep.

* * *

While the column's riders had been engaged in battle, the remainder of the column continued its journey to Helm's Deep. A tense atmosphere pervaded the column due to their concern about how the riders were faring against Saruman's wargs. An unspoken concern was that if another warg pack attacked the column, it did not have another cavalry screen to protect it. On that basis, no one in the column objected to Eowyn's decision for the column's members to get to Helm's Deep without stopping for a break. During the journey, many Rohirrim wished they had the speed that Rogers had demonstrated earlier.

Rogers was walking a few yards to Eowyn's left. He was guiding the family horse that Freda and Eothain sat on by the reins. But the brother and sister were not the only children within Roger's proximity. A gaggle of more than a dozen Rohirrim children (both boys and girls) between the ages of six and twelve walked closely beside him having been initially attracted by his brightly coloured uniform. Its colours were more radiant than those of the clothing worn by the vast majority of Rohirrim were.

For a man with no children of his own, Eowyn wondered how Rogers learned to be such a brilliant entertainer of children. She had to suppress a grin as the children around him hung on to his every word as Rogers gave them a highly sanitised version of his war stories. He made his exploits sound to the children like a series of grand adventures. Eowyn could understand that some would criticise Rogers of glorifying war to the children. But he was only doing so to focus their minds on something other than the fear of warg attacks. Eowyn actually found herself caught up in one or two of the stories. The Shield-maiden thought the dark lord with the strange name of 'Red Skull' and his minion 'Zola' sounded as loathsome a pair as Saruman and Grima.

Although she had known Rogers for only a few days, Eowyn could not help but hold a strong liking of him. He was a soldier who treated her and her role as a shield-maiden with respect and as an equal. Despite being a great warrior, Rogers did not possess any arrogance or act if any ordinary task was beneath him. Roger's gallantry, kindness and gentlemanly manners reminded her so much of Theodred who possessed those qualities in abundance. From what he told her, Eowyn understood that Rogers came from a humble background. Eowyn thought that his nobility surpassed many Rohirrim who had inherited theirs as a title.

At about noon the column came within sight of its intended destination. Helm's Deep was wedged into a narrow step-sided valley. Its front was facing north and its back was to a sheer cliff face. Helm's Deep most prominent feature was the Hornburg a three hundred-foot high tower that was surrounded by circular inner and outer ramparted walls. The Outer Wall stood one hundred feet above the ground and had the Gatehouse to its front. The Gatehouse was the only entrance into the fortress, via its two large wooden doors set between two guard towers, which were approached by a curving stone causeway. Behind the Inner Wall was a courtyard that led into archways that had been carved into the rock, leading to the fortress halls, quarters, stables, and armoury. Connecting the Hornburg with the other side of the ravine was the Deeping Wall, a wall over 30 feet high and nearly 300 feet long. Rogers' initial impression of Helm's Deep was that it was unlike any he had seen in Europe during the War.

Rogers followed Eowyn up the causeway with Freda and Eothain in tow. As soon as he passed through the main gates, Rogers was immediate struck at how crowded Helm's Deep already was. Refugees and were everywhere with many sitting on a ramp that curled up to the courtyard. Rogers grimly remembered that throughout the history of warfare a crowded besieged location was often vulnerable to the threat of disease.

The sentries assigned to Helm's Deep had to act as traffic cops directing the new arrivals to areas of the fortress that was not so crowded. Seeing that Rogers was close to Eowyn, one sentry assumed he must be a man of importance.

"Would you like me to take your horse to the stable milord?" he offered Rogers.

"Thanks" Rogers replied before taking Freda and Eothain off the mount. He then heard a woman's voice call the children's names coming from behind him.

"Mama!" Freda screamed in recognition. She and her brother ran at full speed until they shared a joyous and relieved hug with their mother who had arrived at Helm's Deep earlier. As he looked at the happy family reunion Rogers smiled. Not all victories in war were solely won on the battlefield.

Satisfied he had kept his promise to Freda; Rogers took the opportunity to assess the layout within Helm's Deep. Sentries allowed him to walk up the steps next to the ramp that led to the top of the Outer Wall. Eowyn had instructed them they were to extend every courtesy to the warrior with the strange uniform named 'Captain America'.

Rogers walked east along the Outer Wall until he reached its conjunction with the Deeping Wall. He estimated that both walls were thick enough to have defenders in ranks of three or four. To his left Rogers noted that a narrow ramp lead from the top of the Gatehouse into the courtyard through a narrow archway that formed the base of a small stone turrent. Rogers saw a large area of dead ground that stood behind the Deeping Wall and the cliff face that Helm's Deep backed into. The area was beginning to fill with refugees with many setting up tents in the area. A thick iron door at the bottom of the Hornburg could access the area. Rogers also noticed a small stream seemed to flow from the cliff wall along the ground until it exited through a small iron culvert at the base of the Deeping Wall. As far as he was concerned this feature was both good and bad news. The good news was that it would appear the fortress had a secure fresh water source from somewhere behind the cliff wall. The bad news was that the culvert gave the Deepening Wall have a very clear weak point. Overall Rogers concluded that in the event of an assault the two key points of conflict were certainly to be the Deeping Wall and the Gatehouse.

After asking a sentry where he could find Eowyn, Rogers walked over the ramp that connected the Gatehouse to the Courtyard. When he emerged into the courtyard, he saw in its middle a stone statute of a bearded man wearing armour holding a horn in his hand. Rogers assumed this had to be the Rohirrim that the fortress was named after. _King Hammerhand_, Rogers mentally told the statue, _if this place is attacked I will do everything I can to help your people make a defence you would be proud of_. Rogers eventually found Eowyn in a small-enclosed area of the Courtyard. She was inspecting the fortress' food supplies in conjunction with its quartermaster. The food was mostly bread, potatoes and some eggs and dry meat. There did not appear much food relative to the number of people within the bounds of Helm's Deep. Eowyn seemed to have the same concerns.

"Where is the rest?" she asked the quartermaster

"This is all we could save, milady" the quartermaster replied guiltily.

After a beat, Eowyn commanded the quartermaster "Take it to the Caves".

"Caves?" Rogers sought to clarify from her.

"Behind the cliff face is a series of large passages and tunnels known as the 'Glittering Caves'" Eowyn explained to him. "In the event of an attack on the fortress all non-combatants shall take refuge in them for safety". Eowyn held on to the hope that her uncle would not count her as one if the eventuality of an attack arose. After leading the column unscathed to Helm's Deep as he instructed, surely Theoden would now allow her to act as a shield-maiden in the defence of the fortress? Eowyn continued telling Rogers "The jewelled caverns within the Caves are quite spectacular Steve, especially when torchlight is reflected off the large pool. Under happier circumstances I would be glad to give you a tour of them".

Before Rogers could reply he and Eowyn's attention was caught by the sound of Gamling's voice as it echoed up the ramp into the Courtyard "_Make way for the King! Make way for Theoden_"!

Eowyn and Rogers rushed out into the Courtyard proper and saw the column's riders with Theoden to the front of them halt around the statue of Helm Hammerhand. Many within the courtyard immediately began to assist removing the wounded riders to the fortress hospice. Several others began to sob when they did not see present the riders who were also their loved ones. Rogers began immediately looking for the Fellowship members who separated from him earlier that morning.

After doing a rough estimate of the number of riders that had returned a shocked Eowyn observed to her uncle "It would appear only half of you have returned"!

"Our people are safe" Theoden advised her. "We have paid for it with many lives. Without Prince Thor we would have paid many more".

As Theoden said this, Rogers saw the said Avenger dismounting alongside Boromir. He walked up and shared a heartfelt arm grip with each of them.

"You'll need to tell me what you did to make Theoden say that!" Rogers remarked to Thor with a grin.

"Perhaps I shall tell you later" Thor stoically replied.

Rogers smile melted away when Boromir appeared to be as downcast as what Thor did. Rogers then realised that one of the Fellowship members who was part of the column to Helm's Deep was missing.

"Where's Aragorn?" he asked Boromir and Thor with a rising sense of dread.

It was then that he overheard Gimli's reply to Eowyn who had asked the Dwarf a similar question.

"He fell" Gimli advised in a voice choked with sorrow.

At this Eowyn and Rogers shared a look. Caught up in her grief at Gimli's news, Eowyn did not want Rogers or anyone else see Rohan's leading shield-maiden display any weakness. She broke away from Rogers' gaze before rushing up the stairs into the Hall. At least she could use the excuse of following Theoden as a pretext to finding a quiet corner to unleash the tears that wanted to burst from her. Of course Rogers had seen similar looks to Eowyn's and knew what she was really up to. He thought it best not to go after Eowyn as he felt the same way about Aragorn's death as she did.

Roger's brought his attention back to the other four Fellowship members that were all looking at him.

"With the loss of Aragorn you are now our Fellowship's sole Captain" Legolas observed to Rogers with melancholic dignity. "What would you have us do now"?

Rogers looked into each of their eyes before he soberly told them "We get ready".

* * *

**I suspect to the disappointment of some readers there will be no romance between Rogers and Eowyn. One main reason is that I don't want to try and second-guess developments in **_**Captain America: The Winter Soldier**_**. I also refer to Gandalf's remarks before the Fellowship entered Edoras in an earlier chapter. Also one of the scenes cut from **_**The Avengers**_** shows Steve still suffers a bit from 'nice guy' syndrome.**

**The other relationship I have not tried to guess at from a movieverse point of view is between Thor and Tyr. I wanted to make it ambiguous enough so this chapter is not in error when **_**Thor: The Dark World**_** is released later this year.**


	20. War Plans

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

09/03/2013

This story is now over 100,000 words. Nearly 20 years ago I did my Honours dissertation which was only 15,000 words long. For some reason, this story has not been as boring to write despite being seven times the length.

**scottie**: I have only seen that movie once and I did not recall that character. As I understand, Tolkein based the Riddermark tongue heavily on Old English. Seeing that 'Cynric' is an OE name that means 'with royal might' I thought it an appropriate name for a Rohan Royal Guard.

**mikabronxgirl**: You're patient with my writing than I am! Hopefully the rest of the story shall continue to entertain you.

* * *

**Chapter 20 – War Plans**

Banner, Pippin and Merry had commenced their first long journey within Fangorn since their arrival at Treebeard's home. More accurately Treebeard was carrying the trio as he walked on his journey. Merry and Banner sat on Treebeard's right and left shoulder respectively while Pippin sat among the branches that formed the top of Treebeard's head. Treebeard had woken them early morning before advising they were to accompany him on a journey to the south west of Fangorn. Treebeard told them the purpose of the journey was to "Go to a place to consider matters of importance". It was about the same time of the day when Theoden and his riders had returned to Helm's Deep. The three Fellowship members felt Treebeard walking uphill as they neared their destination.

Banner was feeling the best he had in over a week. Whatever the composition of the 'Ent-draught' it had appeared to completely have purged the effects of the tranquilizer that had been in his bloodstream. Banner felt well enough to finally tell Treebeard something he hadn't been able to over the last couple of days.

"Listen Treebeard, um, I'm sorry that I threw up on your feet before" Banner awkwardly apologised. "If I'd known about Ents before entering Fangorn I would've chosen to be sick on a pile of rocks"!

"Pay it no mind Master Bruce, Burarum" Treebeard magnanimously replied. "It would not be the first time that a creature of red-blood has unwittingly treated me in a similar manner. Allow me to tell you the story of when a warren of rabbits decided to dig a burrow under me". Treebeard cleared his throat before embarking on the tale he was sure that his three guests would find as fascinating as he did. "It was a crisp autumn morning when I was awoken from my slumber by something gnawing at my feet. When I woke I saw before me two little brown rabbits che-"

"Look!" Pippin interrupted having spotted something. "There's smoke to the south"!

Treebeard heaved a sigh that his story telling had come to a sudden end. "There is always smoke rising from Isengard these days" he casually observed as if the smoke was of minor importance compared to his story.

"Isengard?" a curious Merry repeated.

The two hobbits and Banner lifted themselves up from where they sitting on Treebeard. Merry climbed to where Pippin so he could see over Banner's head. To the south the trio could see in the distance the Orthanc with numerous smoke plumes rising from the area around the Tower. Banner guessed the Tower to be shorter than many New York skyscrapers (including Stark Tower) but given its design, the Tower would be distinctive along any city skyline.

"There was a time when Saruman would walk in my woods" Treebeard recalled to the trio as they continued their observations. "But now he has a mind of metal and wheels. He no longer cares for growing things".

Banner's wonder at the Tower of Orthanc was quickly overtaken by what he saw just beyond Orthanc's ringed wall. Just leaving it was a long, thick black line of movement heading in a southerly direction. It looked like a giant python had escaped the bounds of the Orthanc and was sliding along the countryside. Merry and Pippin had seen it as well.

"What is it?" a confused Pippin asked to his friends and himself.

After a short silence Merry exclaimed in a whisper "It's Saruman's army! The war has started".

"My God!" Banner, the lapsed Catholic, gasped at what was likely to be an army comprised of orcs similar to the ones that kidnapped himself, Merry and Pippin at Amon Hen. "There must be thousands of them! Where are they marching towards"?

"Before he left us with Treebeard, Gandalf said he was going to get the rest of the Fellowship – apart from Frodo and Sam – to help defend the horse riders' country" Pippin recalled.

"Rohan" Merry reminded his cousin of that country's proper name.

"I'm no soldier or warrior like Steve or Thor" Banner commented. "But I hope Rohan has a big army as they're going to need it by the looks of things"!

Banner hoped that Thor was having better luck than he was in getting his powers back. Banner meant no offence to his friend Rogers, but a fully powered Thor would decimate Saruman's army on his own. But if Thor was still feeling the effects of the vortex then the chances of the Avengers being part of a successful defence of Rohan were a lot more marginal. Especially against an army of the size that had just left the Orthanc. Banner's thoughts made him reflect that if he had a full strength 'Other Guy' under his control, he could end Isengard's offensive right now.

Banner and the hobbits sat back down on the still moving Treebeard. Banner continued to ponder what he had just witnessed. Banner considered himself to be a committed environmentalist. Since commencing work at Stark Industries, most of Banner's research had been in the area of alternative energy. In fact Banner liked the look Pepper Potts gave him after he told her that he was proud of his 'green' conscience. That being the case, he was puzzled at Treebeard's seeming ambivalence on Saruman's activities. Unlike other ecosystems, it would appear Fangorn had the ability to consciously resist exploitation if it wanted to. Banner sought clarification about this from the Ent.

"Look Treebeard," Banner began "I don't argue that I know Saruman or Fangorn better than you do. But with Saruman's army on the warpath and his orcs chopping down parts of this forest, are you and the other Ents planning to do anything about it"?

"We Ents have not troubled about the wars of men and wizards for a very long time" Treebeard replied. Banner wondered if 'very long time' for an Ent meant centuries or millennia. Treebeard continued "But now something is about to happen that has not happened for an age...Ent Moot".

"What's that?" Merry asked.

"'Tis a gathering" Treebeard enigmatically advised.

A confused Merry sought further clarification from Treebeard for himself and the equally confused Pippin and Banner, **"**A gathering of what"?

It was now that Treebeard had come to a halt. He and his passengers had come to their destination which was a large clearing surrounded mostly by oak trees. Pippin, Merry and Banner heard groans and rumblings come from the forest surrounding the clearing. The noises were similar to those they heard when the orcs were chopping down trees at the Eaves of Fangorn. Unlike then, the beings that made those noises revealed themselves to the trio. About a dozen Ents had come into the clearing and formed a circle around Treebeard and the three Fellowship members. Banner couldn't help but give an awed grin at the sight of the Ents who were all around Treebeard's height. Each Ent had different 'facial' features such as some having twigs for beards or leaves for eyebrows. _If only I still had my iPhone and it had enough battery for me to take a group shot of these Ents_ Banner wished.

Treebeard began to individually acknowledge his fellow Ents "Beech, Oak, Chestnut, Ash…Good, good, good. Many have come".

"So this is what an 'Ent Moot' looks like?" Banner asked Treebeard.

"Burarum yes Master Bruce" Treebeard acknowledged. "Though rare through the ages, an Ent Moot is convened for when us Ents need to discuss important matters. Now we must decide if the Ents will go to war against Saruman". After he had spoken these words, Treebeard set down his three passengers on to the ground before telling them "Please excuse us little folk. We Ents have matters to discuss among ourselves first. I will talk to you later".

Merry, Pippin and Banner walked several paces away from the huddle that Treebeard and the other Ents had formed. The Ents seemingly whispered in a rumbling tongue that the trio didn't understand a word of. The three friends began taking among themselves.

"We could be helping our friends sooner rather than later!" Merry remarked with barely contained anticipation.

"Let's hope you're right Merry" Banner agreed with a touch of uncertainty.

Picking up Banner's tone, Pippin asked "What's got you worried about the Ent Moot Bruce"?

Banner replied "Where I come from Pippin we have a saying – 'A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours'".

* * *

Thor made his way through the refugees that had set up camp in the ground between the Deeping Wall and cliff face at Helm's Deep. He tuned out the whispers the refugees exchanged among themselves as he passed by them. The stories of what Thor did against the warg-riders had circulated all around the fortress. Many Rohirrim felt a mixture of awe and fear that Helm's Deep contained a 'man' that could run down wargs and dispatch scores of them and their riders with an unmatched fury all on his own. It was mid-afternoon and Thor noted that the overcast sky was becoming more heavy and dark. Although Thor did not know it at the time, it was ominous portent of the dark night the defenders of Helm's Deep would face.

Thor eventually reached a flight of steps that lead to the top of the Deeping Wall. After he had climbed them, Thor noticed the Wall was practically deserted except for the two Rohirrim sentries just to his right and the Fellowship member he had been looking for who was a about thirty yards to his left. Legolas looked out over the barren valley that led from Helm's Deep to the northern horizon. After he had closed the distance between Legolas and himself, Thor noticed that the Elf was fingering the Evenstar in his refined right hand.

"Estel" Legolas simply said without even looking at Thor to his right.

"Pardon?" Thor replied to get Legolas to clarify the word he had just spoken.

"In order to keep Aragorn's heritage a secret from Sauron, Lord Elrond did not tell Aragorn what his true name was until he entered manhood" Legolas began. "When Aragorn was raised in the House of Elrond as a boy, he was given the name 'Estel' which is the elvish word for 'hope'".

Now knowing that Aragorn was not told of his true heritage until manhood got Thor thinking. Thor often wondered if Odin had told Loki earlier of his true heritage being the son of Laufey, then maybe his stepbrother wouldn't have embarked on his rebellion against Asgard.

"Eomer said to us that hope has forsaken Rohan" Legolas continued. Thor noticed the tinniest quiver on Legolas' lips before the Elf concluded "It would appear that hope is now gone from all Middle-earth".

"We may be immortal but we are no less hurt by the death of a friend than mortals are" Thor sadly agreed. "Maybe even more so as we have to bear the pain of our loss over a much longer existence".

Thor's thoughts came back to Loki again. The one act of Loki's during the Chitauri invasion of Earth that Thor had not forgiven was his cold-blooded murder of Agent Coulson. Part of the reason for this was that Thor felt that Coulson's death was partly his fault. The God of Thunder reasoned that if only he hadn't fallen for that simple holographic trick of Loki's he could have prevented his stepbrother from committing such a terrible crime. Nor would he still have to bear the pain from having to helplessly witness such a brave and noble man as Couslon murdered in front of him. Thor remembered his mother Frigga's advice to him when he confided in her about this. _To be able to forgive Loki you must first forgive yourself._ Thor was still unable to accept this advice. Instead Thor vowed he would never again allow a mortal under his protection to be killed by a lapse of foresight on his part. That was part of the reason that he had argued strongly with Aragorn at Amon Hen about going on a separate path to Frodo and Sam.

The ruminations of the two princes ended when they noticed a lone horse rider slowly heading towards Helm's Deep across the valley in front of them.

"Is that a straggler from an eored?" Thor quietly pondered aloud to Legolas and himself as they both focused on the rider.

The eyes of the pair widened in disbelief and then joy when they realised who the rider was. For the first time since Thor had joined him on the Deepening Wall, Legolas turned his head to look at Thor. There was a gleam in Legolas' eye and his face wore a half-grin as he said to Thor "We immortals should know better than to believe hope could die from merely falling off a cliff"!

Thor put a supporting hand on Legolas' right shoulder as he looked at Legolas in return. With the same look in his eye and tone of voice that Legolas had just given him, Thor responded "Come my fellow Prince let us see how hope is faring after its short break. As well as if it would like its pendant back"!

* * *

Theoden sat on a simple wooden throne within the Main Hall of Helm's Deep. The Hall was carved into the southern cliff face that the arches bordering the outside courtyard led in to. Compared to the Main Hall of the Meduseld, the Main Hall of Helm's Deep was quite Spartan in appearance. There were some dull wooden benches and a simple hearth. A light green banner with a prancing white horse was the only decoration on its walls. Light streamed into the hall through a series of narrow arched windows high up on its north wall.

Theoden was holding audience with the senior Rohirrim officers that had accompanied him and survived the journey from Edoras as well as the current commanding officer of the fortress. Boromir was also present and, at the Gondorian's insistence to Theoden, Rogers as well. This was despite Rogers telling his friend that he had no practical experience in what he strangely called 'medieval warfare'. Boromir and Rogers stood to Theoden's left while the Rohirrim officers stood to the King's right. Theoden had a clear view of the Hall's pair of wooden front doors that were currently closed. Privacy was needed while he and this coterie of military men discussed strategy for the defence of Helm's Deep.

The Lord of the Mark privately admitted that Boromir was right to have included Rogers in this planning session. Whenever Rogers spoke, inwardly Theoden could not help but be greatly impressed by the deep understanding of warfare that Rogers displayed. If 'Captain America' (Rogers' Avengers name had spread among the Rohirrim by the children he had entertained) fought as well as he spoke, Theoden thought Rogers would be the perfect soldier in mind and body. Rogers was currently advising the meeting about the current supply situation within Helm's Deep.

"It goes without saying Sir that the length of our food supplies is inversely proportional to the number of mouths we have to feed" Rogers followed Boromir's earlier lead by speaking to Theoden directly. "Lady Eowyn and the quartermaster advise me that we currently have enough food to feed everyone within Helm's Deep for five days".

Theoden frowned in concern at this figure before asking Rogers in response "And all our stores have been accounted for"?

Rogers nodded before saying "I have an idea that could help though Sir".

"Then by all means please share it Captain Rogers" Theoden politely encouraged him.

Rogers reflected this planning session was the first time that he was having a serious business-like conversation with a reigning monarch of any kind. The photo opportunity he had with George VI during the War didn't really count. A couple of months after the Chitauri invasion, Rogers found himself going to Europe as part of a (to him another) good will tour. History repeated itself somewhat when he had a photo opportunity with the current British Queen. Rogers remembered her from seventy years earlier as George VI's precocious teenage daughter. The Queen told Rogers that her father often privately remarked that one of his life's honours was meeting the world's First Avenger during the War.

Bringing his attention back to matters at hand, Rogers said to Theoden "A lot of refugees carry their own food supplies, some have more than others. Maybe we can ask all refugees to surrender their personal supplies to the quartermaster. That way we can increase our total supplies as well as ensuring that everyone is rationed a fair share".

"That is indeed a sensible suggestion" the King agreed with a nod. Theoden then turned to speak to the new Captain of his Royal Guard, "Gamling please ask the quartermaster to organise this after this meeting". Gamling quickly responded with "Yes Milord"!

Boromir then decided to speak up "Your Majesty the level of our food supplies may be inconsequential in the end". Theoden and every other planner looked at the Gondorian.

"What do you mean Lord Boromir?" a puzzled Theoden enquired.

"From what Gandalf has told us, Saruman is after a quick victory and such a victory will not be gained by a siege" Boromir explained. After a beat, Gondor's Captain-General advised the Rohirrim "We should commence developing plans to defend this fortress from a direct assault".

Both Rogers and Boromir noted the surprised and concerned frowns the Rohirrim gave in response to the later's suggestion.

"I do not disregard your advice nor should you think I am complacent Lord Boromir" Theoden stated. "But from the reports that I have read, the White Hand's attacks on Rohan are of isolated bands of orcs, wargs and wild-men pillaging villages and settlements. To me this indicates that Isengard does not yet have the force to take this fortress by storm".

"Sir it goes without saying everyone in this room knows more about Rohan's enemies than I do" Rogers humbly said as a pretext to support Boromir's argument. "But I agree with Boromir. Before coming to Rohan, our Fellowship was lucky to escape without loss after we underestimated what Saruman's forces are capable of". At this, Boromir inwardly winced for a number of reasons as he recalled the Fellowship's clash with the Uruk-hai at Amon Hen.

"Given your experience then what would you suggest we do at Helm's Deep to avoid a similar mishap?" Theoden questioned the pair.

For a moment Rogers wondered by the way the question was worded if the King was having a subtle dig at Boromir and himself. Rogers thought best to ignore it and focus on the job at hand.

"One advantage we have Sir is that Gandalf is on his way with Eomer and his men" Rogers answered. "Before he left Edoras, Gandalf seemed confident he would be here with them by tomorrow morning. If we need to defend against a direct assault we only need to fight a delaying action to hold out until reinforcements arrive".

"Steve is right sire" Boromir concurred. "In order to fight this action, now would be a good time to start deploying any defensive engines you may have as well as preparing any burning oil, pitch or tar".

The Rohirrim present seemed to be embarrassed at what Boromir and Rogers had just said. Theoden shared a knowing look with Gamling before the later began to speak.

"We have no such engines or materials my lords" Gamling awkwardly explained. Rogers guessed that giving uncomfortable news in the King's place was part of the Captain of the Royal Guard's job description. Gamling continued "The only materials we have in stock are rocks to throw at any who attempt to assault the fortress".

Now it was Boromir and Rogers turn to exchange a look. Both Captains did not need to say a word to know they were both thinking the same thing. Rohan's whole military doctrine was obviously based around the use of their superb cavalry that the plains of the Riddermark allowed them. Such a doctrine was fine when the enemy was roving bands of orcs and brigands. Their country's terrain and historic experience meant this doctrine was almost silent when it came to planning a defence against a siege or assault though.

Before either Boromir or Rogers could respond they and the Rohirrim's attention were grabbed by the Hall's doors noisily creaking open. All present were stunned to see that it was Aragorn who had pushed them open. Thor, Legolas and Gimli stood behind the Fellowship Co-Leader that had all but been given up for dead.

After his initial shock had subsided, Rogers quietly asked Boromir "Does everyone in Middle-earth have a habit of coming back from the dead"?

* * *

Thor, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn had joined Theoden and his military planners within the Main Hall. After he had fallen off the cliff being dragged by the warg, Aragorn had the fortune of falling into the river below. But the Ranger did not have the time to detail how he found the horse that enabled him to continue to Helm's Deep. More pressing matters needed to be reported. In particular, on his way to Helm's Deep he had spotted the force that Saruman had sent to attack it. Aragorn's report did not make for attractive listening.

"A small number had stopped to start constructing what appeared to be a supply depot" Aragorn advised the group. "But nonetheless a great host of Uruk-hai continue to march unhindered towards Helm's Deep".

As the first part of what Aragorn said did not seem to present an immediate problem, Theoden sought clarification from Aragorn on the second part of his report.

"A great host you say?" Theoden queried.

"All Isengard is emptied" Aragorn confirmed.

"How many?" Theoden asked needing Aragorn to be more specific.

After taking a deep breath Aragorn answered with the slightest trace of alarm "Ten thousand strong at least".

"Ten _thousand_?!" Theoden repeated in worried disbelief.

Rogers noted that even Thor seemed to flinch a little at the size of the force Aragorn estimated was on its way to attack Helm's Deep. Rogers thought that if the God of Thunder was concerned about the size of the enemy then everyone else should be.

Aragorn's report got worse as he gave his assessment of the Isengard army's true objective "It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of Men".

"When do you think they'll get here Aragorn?" Rogers asked. Captain America wanted to figure out how long the defenders Helm's Deep would have to hold out until Gandalf's promised arrival.

Aragorn then gave the most important piece of information of his report.

"They will be here by nightfall Steve" Aragorn grimly answered. _Like the Duke of Wellington said about the Battle of Waterloo - this battle is going to be a close run thing_ Rogers thought in response.

For a man who just had all his planning assumptions devastatingly torn asunder, Theoden displayed surprising purpose.

"Let them come!" he defiantly stated in reference to the Uruk-hai as he walked out the Main Hall with resolution in every step.

Gamling and the six Fellowship members followed Theoden down the ramp that curved down from the courtyard to the ground level of the Gatehouse. Theoden stopped at the Gatehouse's inner entrance before putting a hand on Gamling's shoulder.

"Gamling I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall" Theoden firmly ordered his Captain. Gamling stiffly bowed at the neck to Theoden before leaving to carry out his orders.

"Is Theoden conscripting young boys to be defenders?" Rogers whispered in alarm to Boromir who stood next to him.

Boromir gave the smallest nod as he reluctantly confirmed Rogers' question. Fortunately Rogers was too professional a soldier to openly argue with Theoden about the order. However, Boromir had come to know Rogers well enough to see by the look on his face how appalled his friend was at Theoden's decision. Boromir hoped that Captain America did not assume that all the militaries of the Free Peoples used underage soldiers. Even with the dire situation it was facing, no one in Gondor had even suggested recruiting children to be part of its defence.

Walking past some Rohirrim soldiers working at strengthening the main gate to the fortress, Theoden and the Fellowship members walked out onto the Causeway just in front of the Gatehouse.

"We will cover the causeway and the gate from above" Theoden strongly stated. "No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot inside the Hornburg".

Gimli thought that not all Men were as bright as the ones in the Fellowship before he advised Theoden "This is no rabble of mindless Orcs! These are Uruk-hai. Their armour is thick and their shields broad".

Standing next to Gimli, Thor warned Theoden "And they will fight to the death in carrying out Saruman's orders milord".

Theoden looked at the pair before curtly telling them "I have fought many wars, my lords. I know how to defend my own keep".

Thor grasped a miffed Gimli's shoulder as a show of support before they followed Theoden and the other members of the Fellowship back into the fortress.

Before too long Theoden was leading the six Fellowship members along the top of the Inner Wall. Aragorn and Rogers were the ones closet to the King as he detailed how he saw the Uruk-hai's attack unfolding.

"They will break upon this fortress like water on rock" Theoden confidently forecast. "Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn, we've seen it before. Crops can be resewn; homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them".

All Fellowship members present were silently aghast that Theoden again seemed to be in denial over the danger his country was facing. The confidence he displayed almost bordered on arrogance.

"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages!" an exasperated Aragorn explained with arms wide to Theoden.

Rogers resolutely backed up his Co-leader "Sir where I come from I've fought against armies like the one on its way here. Saruman's plan for Rohan is not war but genocide"! Rogers immediately realised that 'genocide' may not be a word in Middle-earth so he quickly clarified his remarks "Saruman wants to wipe Rohan off the map by exterminating all its people. From its King to its newest born baby"!

Feeling that Aragorn and Rogers were, admittedly unintentionally, undermining his authority in front of his soldiers an angry Theoden drew close to the pair.

"What would you have me do?" he quietly growled "Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread". Rogers concluded that Theoden obviously understood the situation better than he was saying. He could understand if his bravado was to keep up the morale of his subjects. That theory was quickly disproved by Theoden's next words "If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance"!

Rogers and Aragorn were both alarmed that Theoden seemed to be approaching the defence of Helm's Deep as a 'last stand'. How did Theoden seriously hope to keep up the morale of the defenders if he had privately concluded he was leading them to their doom? Aragorn tried to indirectly dissuade Theoden of this attitude by a suggestion.

"Send out riders milord!" Aragorn insisted. "You must call for aid"!

Theoden cynically responded "And who will come"? Theoden pointed his chin in the direction of Legolas, Gimli and Thor to emphasise his point "Elves? Dwarves? Asgardians? We are not so lucky in our friends as you both are. The old alliances are dead and I do not have the time to negotiate new ones".

Boromir was standing just behind Rogers and Aragorn. He had heard nearly all of what Theoden had told the pair. After what Theoden had said about alliances Boromir could no longer remain silent.

"Even if that is so milord there's one ally who will never abandon you!" Boromir argued. "As ever since the Oath of Eorl was first sworn, Gondor stands ready to aid Rohan in her hour of need"!

"_Gondor?!_" Theoden vehemently hissed in response. Largely due to the stress he was under, Theoden thought Boromir was a perfect proxy to unleash the years of pent up anger and distrust he had for Denethor. With a seething rage in his eyes and voice Theoden pointed his right index finger at Boromir while firing a series of angry questions.

"What ally would allow Rohan's enemies close in all around us?! Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?! What was your father's response to our numerous requests for aid over the years?! Where were _you_ Lord Boromir when my so-" Theoden bit his lip at the thought of Theodred. He took a deep breath so his anger didn't lead to him releasing further tears of grief for his dead beloved son. Theoden thought the last thing his subjects needed now to witness was their king falling on his knees and weeping despite the need of his body and soul to do so.

Boromir made no response but Theoden's tirade genuinely hurt his feelings. He remembered when the Fellowship had set up camp along the Anduin. He and Aragorn had argued over the direction of the Fellowship's journey with Aragorn saying "_There is no strength in Gondor that can avail us_". Boromir conceded Aragorn and Theoden's remarks were spoken in anger. But had the rest of the Free People's opinions of his beloved Gondor really fallen so low? Boromir began to feel some anger of his own towards Denethor. The Steward of Gondor had obviously not been entirely truthful to his son on how Gondor was perceived by the rest of the Free Peoples.

Having quelled his anger for the time being, Theoden resumed his conversation with Boromir and by extension the rest of the Fellowship.

"I'm sorry Lord Boromir," Theoden said as an apology and observation "but Rohan stands alone".

After he had spoken these words, Theoden turned on his heel before resuming his journey along the Inner Wall. The Fellowship members did not follow Theoden as they heard him quickly giving out orders to Gamling and the rest of the Royal Guard. The attention of the six of them was drawn skyward at the sound of birds cawing. A small flock of crebain was circling over the fortress. They all knew the crebain would go and report to Saruman the meagre defences his 10,000 Uruk-hai would face at Helm's Deep. But the crebain had an unhealthy symbolism of carrion birds waiting to feed on the corpses of the defenders.

Aragorn and Rogers returned their attention to Theoden as they spoke to each other in hushed tones.

"Now we know why Gandalf said to the both of us that he feared for the survival of Rohan and particularly its king" Aragorn grimly observed.

With uncharacteristic bitterness Rogers mused "I wonder if those birds heard any of our argument with Theoden and report it when they get back to Isengard. If they do – Saruman would be justified in thinking he's well on the road to victory in Rohan".

* * *

**A dialogue heavy chapter I admit but most planning sessions are (military and non-military alike). PJ did a fantastic job in **_**TTT**_** of building the tension among the defenders (and audience) leading up to the battle. I've tried to create similar tension in this chapter as well – even though unlike the movie, the defenders will have Boromir and two Avengers helping them out.**

**As the owner of a pet one I am well aware of what rabbits are capable of. All I can say is that Treebeard's reaction to the bunnies deciding to dig a burrow was much more sanguine than mine when I caught my rabbit digging a burrow in my garden.**


	21. Special Forces

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

20/03/2013

A lot of reviewers have asked about more Avengers joining the Battle for Middle-earth. At the risk of a major spoiler my opinion on this issue has not changed from one I gave in Chapter 1 nor have the reasons behind it.

A bit like Chapter 13, in this chapter I have chopped the order of scenes around a little bit to help the story flow better.

**Dan man**: I wondered if anyone would pick up the hidden humour in Rogers asking his question to Boromir.

**Rossaldinho 7**: I admit there's a lot of readers/reviewers of this story more knowledgable about Tolkein than I am. But I think you'll find in the book that Legolas was the only Elf present at Helm's Deep. Also I believe Elladan and Elrohir were part of the Grey Company that came after the Battle of the Hornburg was over.

** melissamcginnis3**: After that start I hope the rest of that day went well for you.

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Special Forces**

The Fellowship members at Helm's Deep with the exception of Boromir stood close to each other within the fortress's armoury. They observed a handful of Rohirrim regulars distributing weapons and armour among the old men and young boys that had been conscripted as defenders. The conscripted were a study of contrasts. Nearly all the boys found it impossible to wear their armour comfortably as it had been crafted to fit grown men. A great many old men struggled to grasp the weapons they were given due to the arthritis in their fingers.

Earlier, one of Theoden's orders was for all women and young children to be sent to the Glittering Caves and remain there until the battle was over – one way or the other. Eowyn was among their number. When she told Rogers about this, Eowyn was even more enraged about this order of her uncle's than the one he gave her to lead the column to Helm's Deep. Rogers promised her that he would have a quiet word with Theoden on her behalf. The King flatly rejected Roger's arguments in favour of the Shield-maiden taking part in the upcoming battle.

"I do not doubt Eowyn's skill as a shield-maiden" Theoden told him. "But women have no place facing the horrors of battle nor will I ask it of them. That includes my own niece".

Rogers realised that Theoden was in truth only reflecting the values of his society. They were no different to the values relating to the role of gender that had been (and still were) common to many Earth cultures. Rogers wondered what response Theoden would have received if the Avenger he had directed his remark to were Black Widow. Specifically, how long Theoden would have been knocked out from the king hit that would have been Romanoff's response. Before she went into the caves, Eowyn gave Rogers one of her brooches to put in one of his belt pouches. The brooch was a symbol that she would be with him in spirit during the battle.

Boromir soon joined the Fellowship members in the armoury. He was wearing a suit of Royal Guard armour. Its normal wearer was Cynric who was the Royal Guard that Thor handed Mjolnir to outside the Golden Hall. Cynric was badly wounded during the clash with the warg-riders. Boromir had aided Cynric after the battle and visited him as he lay dying in the fortress hospice. Seeing they were of the same size, Cynric gave Boromir his armour to wear during the defence of Helm's Deep. The armour was not just for Boromir to wear for protection. Like Eowyn, Cynric wanted to join the battle metaphorically if he could not literally. Having just been told Cynric passed away moments ago, Boromir vowed that whatever the attitudes of his father and Theoden, he would never give up trying to restore the close bond that Gondor and Rohan once had as friends as well as allies.

Boromir signalled to the other Fellowship members for the six of them to have a group huddle. They began speaking in hushed tones.

"I've just come back from talking with Gamling" Boromir started. "Our total number of defenders is one score and three hundred. Thirty of the Royal Guard, fifty of the regular soldiers who accompanied us from Edoras, thirty that make up the normal garrison at Helm's Deep, and twenty yeomen archers. The rest of the defenders you see behind me".

Even though he was raised to act and speak like a Prince, after comparing the size and quality of the defenders with the size of Isengard's oncoming army Thor quietly exclaimed "_Jaevla helvete"_!

As none of the other Fellowship members understood Norse they took Thor's remark in their stride. Aragorn began to describe the Rohirrim who made up the majority of the defending force.

"Farmers, farriers, stable boys" he sadly observed with a shake of the head. "These are no soldiers".

"Like you Aragorn, I'm unhappy that Theoden has resorted to conscription and who's been caught up in the draft" Rogers said to again underscore his displeasure of Rohan using child soldiers. "But by the same token you shouldn't underestimate what patriotism can do. The army that I fought in was mostly compromised of ordinary men from all walks of life. What largely brought them together was that they all wanted to save America from the threat of tyranny".

With a polite sigh Boromir countered "With respect Steve, from what you told me your army had months of training before deployment. These levies have to go into battle in a matter of hours against a force that greatly outnumbers them. And it also goes without saying that you and your friends were young men in their prime".

"Still in your case Rogers" Thor said to lift spirits however marginally.

After all except Legolas shared a small smile, Gimli continued Boromir's theme "Many have seen too many winters".

"Or too few" Legolas curtly added. The Prince of Mirkwood raised his voice slightly as he observed "They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes".

All activity and the buzz of nervous chatter within the armoury came to halt at the sound of Legolas' words. Thor thought the Legolas' words had obviously touched a nerve among the Rohirrim. More so because what Legolas had said about them was true. Aragorn and Legolas then began to argue in Sindarin. The only words that Thor and Rogers discerned were 'Steve' and 'Edoras'. The argument reached its crescendo when Aragorn shouted in the Common Tongue "Then I shall die as one of them"! After Legolas seemed to flinch at these words, Aragorn then angrily stormed out of the armoury. Legolas made to follow to make peace but he was restrained by Gimli who quietly advised "Let him go lad, let him be".

The Rohirrim resumed their preparations even more tense than they were before. The other Fellowship members could guess the gist of what Aragorn and Legolas' had argued about. Even though Helm's Deep was a much stronger defensive structure than Edoras, it did not change the fact that the bulk of the defenders were going to be killed in the upcoming battle. The argument between Aragorn and Legolas reminded Rogers and Thor of the dispute that broke out between the Avengers on the SHIELD Heli-Carrier prior to Loki's escape from it. Unlike then, at least the Rohirrim did not have to worry about Aragorn and Legolas' argument resulting in an enraged Hulk tearing apart Helm's Deep. The Uruk-hai on their way to tear it and its defenders up was bad enough.

Rogers quietly told the Fellowship members that remained with him in the armoury "We all know how bad the situation is. But Gandalf's counting on us to help Theoden lead the defence tonight. That includes giving the guys standing behind us an example worth following".

Seeing the nods of understanding and agreement he was getting Rogers said "Good. Prepare yourselves before we take our posts and I'll see how Aragorn is doing". Rogers then added after remembering the composition of US Special Forces, "A fully focused Ranger will be a big help in aiding us survive this attack".

Rogers exited the armoury and quickly found Aragorn who sat brooding on the stairs that led up from the Inner Wall's courtyard to the archways carved into the rock. Night had fallen and the first Rohirrim defenders were taking up their positions. As he sat down next to the right of Aragorn, Rogers contemplated that aside from being outnumbered by more than thirty to one, the defenders would be spread dangerously thin along the ramparts.

"Even in his own tongue, Legolas should not have said what he did" Aragorn told Rogers. "But his assessment of our situation was not false either".

"What I said in our huddle was overly optimistic, even by my standards" Rogers admitted. "But if we are to survive this battle we can't adopt Theoden's attitude either. Even if we don't speak it, if our Fellowship believes that we're all going to die tonight the other defenders will still sense it".

Aragorn nodded before stating "You are right and I forget who we have aiding us in this battle. It's been many an age since the Free Peoples have had warriors the calibre of The Avengers. Like Boromir said in Fangorn, I am both curious and troubled that the three of you can be more powerful than what you have demonstrated"!

Rogers took Aragorn's compliment with a nod before saying with self-deprecation "I hate to disappoint you Aragorn, but what you have seen of me is as good as it gets"! After the pair shared a smile, Rogers then continued "Don't forget the defenders of Helm's Deep also have four of the original Fellowship aiding them as well".

"With respect Steve," Aragorn replied "the four us are skilled at arms but we not in the same class as Thor and yourself".

"Even if that was true Aragorn that's not what I meant" Rogers explained.

"What do you mean then?" Aragorn asked with a puzzled frown.

After looking directly into Aragorn's eyes Rogers answered "Frodo told me a bit of what happened before the three of us showed up in Middle-earth. He told me how he and the three other hobbits escaped the clutches of the Black Riders before they met you. He also told me how you single headedly beat off five of those Riders at that 'Weathertop' place. Boromir's told me about some of the battles he's been involved in where Gondor's force has defeated enemies much greater in size. And even though I've only been in Middle-earth just under a couple of months I know it's no small miracle that our Fellowship contains an Elf and a Dwarf that are good friends".

"I'm sorry Steve but I'm following you less than when tried to tell me of that strange athletic pursuit of your people named 'Baseball'".

"What I'm saying is if there's a group of people in Middle-earth that can better demonstrate to the defenders here about facing and surviving impossible odds than the original Fellowship, I'd like to know it"!

Aragorn paused for a moment before telling Rogers the flaw he perceived in his argument.

"You forget that you yourself saw Gandalf fall in Moria" Aragorn pointed out with raised eyebrows.

"True" Rogers conceded. "But if surviving a fall down an abyss, killing a Balrog and coming back from the dead more powerful than before doesn't count as beating the odds then nothing does"!

After a mutual soft laugh, Aragorn and Rogers noticed to their left a teenage Rohirrim with long blond hair. Wearing an oversized suit of armour, the teenager had a pensive look on his face as he nervously gripped the sword he held between his hands.

"Give me your sword" Aragorn gently called the teenager over.

The teenager walked up to Aragorn and Rogers without hesitation before passing his sword over to the former.

"What is your name?" Aragorn asked him.

"Haleth, son of Hama, milord" the teenager replied.

_Poor kid_ Rogers thought. _He hasn't had the time to grieve for his Dad and now he has to contemplate the very real chance of his own death_. Rogers was not surprised Haleth repeated the bleak assessment the vast majority of defenders had about the upcoming battle.

"The men are saying we will not live out the night" Haleth forlornly told the Fellowship's Co-leaders. "They say that it is hopeless".

Aragorn gave Haleth's sword a few practice swings before commenting "This is a fine sword Haleth, son of Hama".

"It was my father's milord" Haleth said as he remembered Thor giving it to him and telling him to always use it in a way that would honour his dead father.

As Aragorn returned Haleth's sword to him, he gripped his left shoulder firmly before sincerely stating "We should all hold to hope. Among us stand those who defy the very meaning of the word 'impossible"!

* * *

As the defenders of Helm's Deep continued their preparations, far away to the north east in Fangorn Forest the Ent Moot was still in deliberation. Merry, Pippin and Banner sat cross-legged on the ground several yards away from the Ent Moot. The two hobbits sat across from Banner. To pass the time, Merry and Pippin told Banner of Bilbo's adventures when he accompanied Thorin's company to reclaim the Lonely Mountain some sixty years before. This included the details of how Bilbo secured the One Ring from Gollum. Banner remembered that Gandalf had alluded to it when the Fellowship first told the three Avengers about the history of the item that had sent Middle-earth into a tailspin of conflict for a better part of three millennia.

"Stories about devices that allow people to turn invisible are a common theme in Earth's literature" Banner informed Merry and Pippin with the former sitting left from the later. "In particular the effect invisibility has on a person morally as well as physically. Unlike Middle-earth, fortunately for us it's only been a problem in fiction". Banner did not count stealth technology, even that used by the SHIELD Heli-Carrier, as giving the same type of 'invisibility' that the One Ring bestowed on its wearer.

"Given what we know now, it was a good thing that Bilbo found the Ring and not one of those goblins that Gollum terrorised in those caves!" Pippin concluded.

"Still," Merry frowned as he pondered Bilbo's ownership of the Ring "my father always said that Bilbo was never the same again after his adventure. I used to think he meant Bilbo was, well, a bit more eccentric. But now we know what the Ring can do to people, it's amazing that Bilbo even kept his sanity".

"Take it from me Merry," Banner advised him with heavy understatement "getting great and terrible power when you didn't plan to is a life changer"!

Pippin questioned Banner in a simple but serious tone "How did you get Hulk"?

"Pippin!" Merry scolded while giving Pippin's arm a light backhanded slap to indicate to his cousin that he had asked a rude question.

"It's alright Merry I wasn't offended" Banner assured him. "After all we've been through I owe both of you of the truth". Banner gave a deep sigh before starting "Well, Hulk's a long story".

Giving the Ent Moot a dirty look, Merry replied "Somehow I don't think you'll need to rush it Bruce".

Banner smiled at this before starting. He told Merry and Pippin everything. Betty. The work he and Betty did at Culver University. The disastrous experiment that both created Hulk and his first destructive rampage. Being a fugitive from the forces led by the vindictive and obsessed General Ross who happened to be Betty's father. His betrayal at the hands of both Samson and Sternes, which led to his capture by Ross. Only for Ross to free him again so Hulk to do battle with Abomination in Harlem. That despite Hulk being victorious, Banner still had to become a fugitive again. His moving from country to country helping people as a doctor under assumed identities. When Black Widow found him India and 'persuaded' him to be part of the Avengers Initiative. How Hulk had almost destroyed the SHIELD Heli-Carrier before he played his part with the other Avengers in defeating the Chitauri invasion of Earth. Banner finished by telling the two hobbits about his current life working with Tony Stark and no longer having to live like an outlaw.

At the end of his story, Banner simply shrugged his shoulders before saying "So now you both know the story behind Hulk".

Banner could tell from the look on their faces that Merry and Pippin were reeling from all he had told them. When Banner was speaking, the two hobbits interrupted him only to get an explanation about things they had never heard of like 'gamma radiation', 'commandos' and 'helicopters'. But now that Banner had told his tale, he was surprised by the pair's response.

"At least three times you and Hulk have saved our lives Bruce" Merry commented with a puzzled frown. "And from the sounds of things, all you and Hulk seem to do is help people in your own world. If that's the reason you had to become an outlaw, then there must be a lot of sad and crazy people on Earth".

"I don't believe I'm actually saying this" Banner mused aloud before replying. "In fairness to Ross and others, Hulk can be quite frightening! Believe me no one was more scared than I was when the 'Other Guy' yelled at Frodo. Before going through the vortex my control of Hulk was the best it had been. But since coming to Middle-earth I feel like where I was when he first came out".

"Of course we didn't know about Hulk at the time" Pippin stated before venturing an insight. "But I now think one reason that the nine of us easily forgave that outburst was that Hulk to you Bruce is a bit like the Ring to Frodo. Neither of you wanted the burden you carry but you carry it nonetheless for the good of everyone. And unlike other Ring-bearers in Frodo's case or that 'Blonsky' in yours, neither of you have let that power turn you to evil".

A tear almost ran down Banner's cheek at Merry and Pippin's words. Unlike so many people on Earth, the pair's reaction to Hulk's story were not one of fear, disgust, intrigue or even pity. Their reaction was from what they judged to be the intent of his and Hulk's actions. More importantly that despite having Hulk as part of him, in Merry and Pippin's eyes Banner was still allowed to make mistakes.

"Thanks" Banner quietly said while wishing he had been able to talk with people like Merry and Pippin many years ago.

It was then that the three of them noticed that Treebeard had excused himself from the Ent Moot and was heading towards them. The three stood up before Treebeard stopped right in front of them. Banner, Merry, and Pippin waited with great anticipation for Treebeard to tell them what the Ent Moot had discussed.

"We have just agreed" Treebeard calmly advised them. Three Fellowship members waited for Treebeard to detail what the Ents had decided. The seconds ticked by as Treebeard seemed to have fallen asleep where he stood.

"Yes?" Merry expectedly prodded.

Merry's question seemed to wake Treebeard. Because of the Ent Moot, Treebeard had simply forgotten that non-Ents spoke at a more rapid pace than his kind.

Treebeard proudly announced "I have told your names to the Ent Moot and we have agreed. You are not Orcs!" He gave a wide Entish smile indicating how pleased he was with the Ent Moot's decision.

"Is that _all_ you've been talking about for the last few hours?!" a dismayed Banner asked.

"Oh no Master Bruce" Treebeard moved to reassure him. "We only discussed the three of your names after we told each other 'Good Morning'".

As an exasperated Banner rolled his eyes, Merry asked Treebeard about the Ent Moot decision Pippin, Banner and himself was most interested in "And what about Saruman? Have you come to a decision about him yet"?

Treebeard waved one of his hands as he casually dismissed Merry's concerns by saying, "Now don't be hasty Master Meriadoc".

"Hasty!" Banner sarcastically repeated. "Your Ent Moot makes Congress appear to have all the speed of NASCAR"!

As the other three participants in the conversation had no understanding of the insult that Banner had given the Ents, Merry continued to press home the urgency of the situation at hand.

"Our friends are out there!' he emphasised to Treebeard by pointing southwards. "They need our help. They cannot fight this war on their own"!

_If Isengard faced a fully powered Thor and Hulk I'd wager against that Merry_ Banner thought.

"War?" Treebeard repeated in agreement "Yes it affects us all. Tree, root and twig". He then crouched down so he could speak more quietly to the three Fellowship members "But you must understand young masters…it takes a long time…to say anything in Old Entish…and we never saying anything…unless it is worth taking…a long time to say". At this Treebeard stood up and walked back to join the Ent Moot.

Although he was fully aware that Merry and Pippin would not understand, Banner couldn't help but fulminate to them "If Middle-earth ever gets 911 I hope for everyone's sake it's not operated by Ents…"

* * *

Back at Helm's Deep, the armoury was deserted except for the Fellowship members who began their preparations for battle. Boromir and Rogers were not among them as they were helping Theoden's officers with the deployment of the fortress' defenders. Boromir was of course already wearing his armour. No one argued with Captain America when he said that his shield was the only piece of armour that he needed.

Thor faced Aragorn across a table. Aragorn was fitting on himself a chainmail vest across his tunic. There was only one other piece of armour that Thor decided to wear in addition to the Asgardian armour he wore as part of his normal outfit. Thor placed the Galadhrim helm in his possession over his head. The inside of the helm was lined with silver padding made of spider silk. The helm felt as comfortable and secure to Thor as when he first tried it. Thor vowed to himself that in the upcoming battle he would show Galadriel he was indeed a warrior worthy of her gift.

As Aragorn moved to pick up from the table the scabbard in which his sword was sheathed, he noticed an armoured Legolas holding it towards him in his left hand.

"Steve and yourself have led us this far and neither of you have failed our trust" Legolas apologised. "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair".

Aragorn said something in Sindarin that sounded magnanimous as he took his sword from Legolas. Thor gave a subtle smile of relief as Aragorn and Legolas confirmed their reconciliation by tightly gripping each other's left shoulder. Gimli walked up to the three of them and quickly had their attention as he struggled to wear a suit of chain mail around his chest.

"If we had time, I'd get this adjusted" Gimli grumbled before he released the chain mail lengths from his grip allowing them to spill to the floor around his ankles.

"You should wear it as is Gimli" Thor advised tongue in cheek. "The young boys aiding the defence would be inspired to know that someone struggles to wear a man's suit of armour more than they do"!

Before Gimli could give a rejoinder, a high pitched but melodious note from an unseen horn echoed within the armoury.

"That's not from Boromir's horn" Thor commented as he narrowed his eyes to figure out who or what had blown the horn they had just heard.

"Nor is it from any Orc horn" Legolas discounted.

Gimli quickly discarded his ill-fitting armour so he could follow Aragorn, Legolas and Thor in departing the armoury to investigate this mystery.

Boromir and Rogers were waiting in the courtyard to welcome the source of the horn. A Company of two hundred blue cloaked Galadhrim had been allowed to enter Helm's Deep. They marched in precision up the winding ramp carrying two banners with Mallorn tree motifs that identified their place of origin. Unlike the sentries the Fellowship had encountered in Lothlorien, these Galadhrim warriors wore finely crafted plate armour coloured red, brown and dark gold. Apart from their superb longbows, the Galadhrim carried long handled two-handed sabres that reminded Rogers of a Samurai katana. By modern Earth standards the Galadhrim maybe anachronistically dressed and armed, but Rogers knew an elite military force when he saw one. So did the Rohirrim defenders who, despite Rohan's historic suspicions of Lothlorien, felt their spirits rising because such legendary warriors had come to their aid.

Like the sentries who intercepted the Fellowship, these Galadhrim were led by no other than Haldir himself. The Marchwarden wore similar armour to his brethren but wore a red cloak (that Rogers thought was equal to Thor's) to designate his status as company commander. The Galadhrim came to a sharp halt by the flight of stairs that led up from the courtyard. Being at the head of his company, Haldir immediately recognised Boromir and Rogers who were standing a few yards in front of him. He gave both a knowing smile and a bow of respect and recognition. Out of habit, Rogers gave Haldir a firm and quick salute in return.

"Haldir we're honoured and immensely grateful that you and your fellow Elves have come to help us" Rogers told Haldir.

"After what Lady Galadriel has told me about you Captain America, I assure you it's our honour to fight in battle alongside The Avengers" Haldir graciously replied.

Theoden then appeared at the top of the stairs dressed in a suit of armour that matched his station as King. He slowly began to walk down the stairs both surprised and confused by the Galadhrim in front of him.

"How is this possible?" a bewildered Theoden asked Haldir.

Haldir gave Theoden a deep bow of respect before advising him "I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell and the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together". It was then Aragorn, Legolas, Thor and Gimli had reached the courtyard from the armoury. Haldir could not help give a wide smile of recognition as he finished telling Theoden "We come to honour that allegiance".

Aragorn greeted Haldir in Sindarin before giving him a firm hug. After being somewhat taken aback at Aragorn's gesture, Haldir responded with a hug of his own. Aragorn spoke for the whole of Helm's Deep when he warmly told Haldir "You are most welcome"!

Haldir then firmly gripped forearms with Legolas before giving a signal to the Galadhrim under his command. The Galadhrim faced left before pivoting to face that direction followed by a single loud clatter as they stood at ease.

Before Haldir could tell Theoden of the Elves pride at fighting alongside Men once more, Thor resolutely proclaimed "All who defend Helm's Deep tonight should do so proudly. We are from many realms, but the ages will remember that in this battle we fought as one"!

* * *

The arrival of Haldir and the Galadhrim at Helm's Deep meant its defenders could be redeployed along much surer lines. Seeing the Deeping Wall was likely to be the Uruk-hai's first line of attack, the Galadhrim were placed along it in three ranks of fifty. The remaining Galadhrim were placed in reserve on the dead ground between the Deeping Wall and the cliff face, with the area having earlier been cleared of the refugees' tents and effects. Haldir gave Aragorn joint command of the Galadhrim so as to better coordinate their activities with the non-Elven defenders. The Fellowship members that joined Aragorn along the Deeping Wall were Legolas, Gimli and Thor.

As much as they would have like to be with their friends, Boromir and Rogers stood with the Rohirrim defenders who were tightly packed along the Outer and Inner Walls. With the Galadhrim taking post on the Deeping Wall, Theoden decided to concentrate his forces in defending the Gatehouse and the Hornburg. Given the lack of experienced officers he could presently call on, Theoden gave command of the Rohirrim on top of the Gatehouse to Boromir and Rogers.

The gathering storm clouds that had formed during the day now almost entirely blocked out any moonlight or starlight from the night sky. It was as dark as things could get by the time the Uruk-hai began arriving at Helm's Deep. The sound of the Uruks' relentless march grew louder as they closed in on the fortress. Now wearing his mask, Rogers remembered Theoden comparing the imminent battle like water breaking on rock. Rogers thought, in that case, Isengard's army was a giant river of Uruk-flesh, steel, torchlight and death slowly surging forward intending to wash away the fortress and its defenders.

The defenders that he and Boromir were responsible for included a few regulars, the yeomen archers and a large number of conscripts. Theoden had decided to place the bulk of his regulars inside the Gatehouse to brace the Main Gate from assault. He held most of his Royal Guard in reserve.

Rogers looked behind himself to see how the defenders close to him were doing. In front of him was a group of about twenty young boys who had no relatives to stand beside in this battle. Haleth and the young Eothain were among them. Rogers could see their nerves on their faces with the teeth of a number of them chattering. Some others had tears of fear streaming down their cheeks. Rogers was not surprised that Theoden's pre-battle speech about honour and the history of Rohan meant nothing to these boys. Even in the current situation Rogers would not lie to these boys by telling them that they were all going to be fine. But by the same token, he was not going to let any of them go to their deaths thinking no one cared about them.

Rogers got their attention with a gentle "Hey boys". With twenty pairs of scared eyes focused on him, Rogers then asked them "Do some of you remember how I told you about the group of men under my command in the War that I fought in called the 'Howling Commandos'"? Rogers received a number of nervous nods in response before continuing "Well as of this moment I'm making you all Howling Commandos"!

The boys eyes widened in amazement at Rogers had just said. Rogers noted that fear was no longer the only emotion on their faces before looking at Haleth.

"Haleth, as you're the eldest after me I'm making you my second in command of these Commandos" Rogers told him. "Do you think you can do that"?

Remembering what Thor had told him earlier, Haleth replied with shaky confidence "I shall make my father proud in doing so milord"!

Rogers gave him a nod of appreciation before saying to the Commandos as a group "As Howling Commandos we only have one rule. We fight for each other and we don't give up helping others. As long as we do this, we can face whatever comes our way".

The twenty boys had their full attention on Rogers almost forgetting the Uruk-hai drawing ever closer to Helm's Deep. Rogers confidently finished his address to them "Rohan's Howling Commandos - let's show these orcs what we can do"!

All the defenders within proximity, including Boromir, had heard Rogers' every word to his new 'Commandos'. They all smiled as they saw the boys imperfectly copy the crisp salute that Rogers gave to them. As Rogers returned his attention to the oncoming Uruk-hai he noticed to his left Boromir standing next to him. During the journey from Edoras, Rogers finally told Boromir about the operation that led to the capture of Zola. After what Gandalf told him in Fangorn, Rogers could tell the tale without feeling too pained while doing so.

Remember what Rogers told him about the operation, Boromir quietly commented to him with an arched eyebrow "Yet for you it is still part mystery why Bucky chose to sacrifice himself for you"!

* * *

The Uruk Commander of the Isengard Army climbed to the top of a large boulder that stood alone in the valley just before Helm's Deep. From this vantage point, the Commander ordered his fellow Uruk-hai to halt with an animalistic howl. The front row of Uruk-hai stopped less than a hundred yards from the Deeping Wall. By the torches the Isengard Army carried, the defenders of Helm's Deep got their first good look at the foe confronting them.

Nearly all of the Uruks wore steel plate armour and helms similar to the Uruk-hai that confronted the Fellowship at Amon Hen. A significant number also carried the same spiked pentagonal shield. Each Uruk had a white hand print on either their armour or shield symbolising their allegiance to Saruman. While the majority of Uruks were armed with falchions, others carried eighteen-foot pikes while others carried crossbows. Throughout the ranks of the Isengardian army there were also orc labourers with the role of sappers and warg-riders acting as messengers and couriers. Many of those defending Helm's Deep now feared the Uruk-hai because of their weapons in addition to their numbers. The defenders would learn they had more to fear from the Uruk weapons they couldn't see at present.

Gimli stood between Legolas and Thor who were to his right and left respectively. The three of them stood among the first rank of Galadhrim lined along the Deeping Wall. 'Stood' was a comparative term in this instance. Those who had designed and built Helm's Deep did not conceive it would ever be defended by dwarves. While the Deeping Wall's parapets gave Thor, Legolas and the Elves solid protection up to chests, Gimli's helm barely came over the top.

"Both of you could've picked a better spot!" he huffed to Legolas and Thor, frustrated he couldn't see the vast horde of Uruk-hai that he clearly heard halt in front of Helm's Deep.

While Legolas simply smirked in response, Thor replied with a faux straight face "You'd be welcome to ride on my shoulders if you like Gimli"!

If there was any indication of the friendship the trio had developed, it was the good natured laugh that Gimli gave to Thor's friendly teasing about his height. Normally in Middle-earth, no Dwarf would let an insult (even in jest) about their height from a Non-Dwarf go without a withering insult in return at the very least. It was then Aragorn walked up to the trio and stood behind Legolas and Gimli.

His laughter at Thor's remark having subsided, Gimli told Aragorn in "Well lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night".

Looking at the mass ranks of Uruk-hai, a Legolas soberly advised "Your friends are with you Aragorn".

"Let's hope they last night" Gimli laconically added.

Lightning then flashed in the night sky followed by low rumble of thunder. The storm that had been building in the skies of Rohan throughout the day finally broke as both the attackers and defenders of Helm's Deep felt a steady stream of rain falling on them.

_This battle has been building like a storm all day as well_ Thor grimly pondered. _But when it breaks it will saturate the ground not with rain but blood._

Thor then felt something stirring within Mjolnir. Thor did not just consider Mjolnir his favourite weapon. He had a mystic link to the legendary hammer that made it a part of him, an extension of his will. Thor caught his breath when he realised what the stirrings were. The powers of Mjolnir that Thor had been unable to use since coming to Middle-earth were returning! Thor's inner joy was tempered by him sensing those powers still had a way to go reach full strength and for him to use them at will. But the fact remained he would be able to soon use them in this battle!

_Your theory was right Banner_ Thor thought as he remembered their discussion in Caras Galadhon about the vortex's effects. _If the full powers of Hulk are returning to you as well, the forces of evil in this realm are in for a nasty shock!_ Given that one of Mjolnir's missing powers was to summon lightning, Thor smiled at the unintentional pun he had just made.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli looked to their left at Thor when they heard him laughing with restrained mirth. The three of them were puzzled by the Avenger's laughter. It went without saying that Thor loved a good battle but nor did he treat it as a sadistic joke.

A concerned Legolas probed the Asgardian with a simple "Thor"?

Thor brought his laughter to a halt but replied with a smile still in his voice "Forgive me my friends if I appear to have gone mad"!

Thor then returned the gazes of his three friends. The lightning in the skies above illuminated the eerily confident gleam and smile he expressed towards them. Thor then spoke to them in a tone that matched the look on his face.

"But I assure you that in this battle, the God of Thunder is with us"!

As if to underscore Thor's observation, a loud clap of thunder echoed over the battlefield.

* * *

**Obviously many reviewers from early on second-guessed my intention for Thor to begin regaining his powers at Helm's Deep. The canonical thunderstorm was a very appropriate plot device to do this. Of course we will have to see how much of his power returns in the next chapter.**

**And of course there's the matter of Hulk's powers to be settled as well…**

**I don't know Norse so my apologies if Thor's reaction in the armoury was stronger than 'bloody hell'.**


	22. The Storm Breaks

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

29/03/2013

Happy Easter everyone! I hope my 'Easter Egg' (a term of many uses nowadays) in the form of this chapter is enjoyable for you. I have to make two apologies before this chapter commences.

First I'm sorry to any Scandinavian readers if I embarrassed you with my clumsy attempt at Norse in the last chapter. I promise it was the only use of Norse planned for this story.

Second, my apologies if I am unable to get back to everyone who sends me a PM with their ideas.

**gammaxmen80**: I don't dispute the substance of your observations about Black Widow but again it's currently beyond my creativity to write this story with more Avengers than the ones currently in it.

**Pip 4**: Thank you for your kind review.

**teach457**: It goes without saying that Hugo Weaving and Liv Tyler played characters in both franchises. I guess we'll have to wait and see how that dynamic plays out in this story.

* * *

**Chapter 22 – The Storm Breaks**

A pause had come over Helm's Deep. The attackers and defenders for now stood motionless as they assessed each other. The rising tension was especially unnerving for the defenders. At an order from the Uruk Commander, the Uruk-hai began to release a cacophony of orc howls and screams. Then they began to either hit their own chestplates with their mailed fists or bang their falchions on their shields. All the Uruks armed with pikes began loudly tapping them end-first on the ground. Those Rohirrim armed with bows raised them with shaking hands in response to the Uruk's noise. A tiny part of Rogers commended the Uruk-hai's decision to engage in psychological warfare by demonstrating how much they outnumbered the defenders. Their tactic and the Rohirrim's reaction to it reminded Rogers of a quote of Sun Tzu's - _One need not destroy one's enemy, one need only destroy his willingness to engage._

If Rogers told him about the Book and its contents, Boromir would have loved to secure copies of _The Art of War_ and make it required reading for all military officers of Gondor. But at present, Boromir's thoughts were not strictly military ones. Theoden's words about Gondor's reliability as an ally had been eating away at Boromir ever since the King had spoken them. Etiquette demanded that Boromir could not directly argue with Theoden in front of his subjects. But honour also demanded that Boromir show Theoden's opinion was wrong nonetheless. _Eomer and Theodred,_ Boromir thought as he put the Horn of Gondor to his lips_ this the sound of me honouring our mutual promise to each other that summer._

The mighty blast the Horn of Gondor produced echoed in the valley above the din of the Uruks. At its sound, the majority of Rohirrim gave a loud shout of defiance towards the Uruk-hai. Rogers gave Boromir a small grin in praise of how his friend had raised the spirits of the defenders.

Some Rohirrim, particularly the conscripts were too nervous to join in with their countrymen. One was an old man who stood next to Haleth. The old man had nervously drawn an arrow with the bow he had been issued. The tension and noise around Helm's Deep was too much for him and he accidently released the arrow.

While it was too dark for them to see at distance, all the defenders heard a loud thump confirming the loosened arrow had struck and killed an Uruk. Even though he spoke it in Sindarin, Aragorn's loud order to hold was understood by all the defenders. Being so outnumbered, it was critical that the defenders not fire their arrows uncoordinated. Reflecting his fellow Uruks collective anger that the defenders had drawn first blood, their Commander loudly roared his order to charge while pointing his falchion at the Deeping Wall. Countless Uruk's growled before streaming in that direction to commence their assault.

At top of the Gatehouse, the defenders stationed there could make out the Uruk's movement as a large black blob. Flashing lightning in the sky above then illuminated the enormous wave of orcs bearing down on the Galadhrim in greater detail. The eyes of Captain America and the Captain of the White Tower were transfixed on the charging Uruks.

"Well, we're in it now" Rogers murmured to Boromir.

Boromir replied "Let's hope we are in 'it' at battle's end my friend".

* * *

Given their position with the Galadhrim on the Deeping Wall, Aragorn, Thor, Legolas and Gimli had a good view of the first wave of the Uruk-hai's assault. The Uruk-hai's movement was not a sophisticated manoeuvre. Theirs was a flat sprint to get to position so they could raise their assault ladders, enabling them to get to the top of the Deeping Wall.

At a command from Aragorn, the Galadhrim began releasing their arrows into the massed ranks of oncoming Uruks. As Uruks began to fall, Thor thought that even Hawkeye would be proud of the uniform speed and precision the Galadhrim shot their arrows. _If they had the arrows Barton used, these Elves could defeat this Isengard army almost by themselves _Thor thought.

Saruman had given great attention to the subject of military technology as well. Even with their numbers, training, size and inherent savagery, the vast bulk of his Uruks were still not equal to the best soldiers of the Free Peoples. Saruman was confident though that the technological edge he had given his military would nullify this problem. The first demonstration of this technology at this battle was by the Uruk-hai armed with crossbows. They loaded their crossbows with reinforced iron bolts that had a sharp steel arrowhead. Because they greatly outnumbered the Galadhrim, the Uruk marksmen did not bother about firing a coordinated volley.

The armour of the Galadhrim was representative of the highest levels of elven metalworking. Some of its wearers wore the same suit they had worn for centuries because of its proven protection. But their armour had never before had to deflect projectiles with the force and weight like the bolts the Uruk-hai had released from their crossbows. For those Galadhrim whose armour was punctured by these bolts, their death scream was as much from surprise as well as pain.

Thor, Gimli and Legolas agreed to commence their competition afresh when this battle started. They shared an unspoken understanding that, despite the dire situation, they should carry out their competition with verve if only to keep up their spirits.

"Are those elves leaving any for us"? Gimli anxiously asked Thor in reference to the charging Uruk-hai he couldn't currently see.

Seeing the latest actions of the Uruk-hai, Thor replied "You'll be glad to know that the Uruks begin to raise their ladders Gimli"!

"Good!" Gimli proclaimed with a fire in his eyes.

Aragorn had also spotted the Uruk-hai beginning to raise their assault ladders. At Aragorn's command, the vast majority of Galadhrim along the Deeping Wall switched from their bows to their two handed sabres.

Each assault ladder that was being raised was being ridden at its top by one of a new breed of Uruk-hai that Saruman had created. Each of these Uruks was seven foot tall and naked except for the loincloth and thin visored skullcap they wore. They were armed with a razor sharp two handed sword that had two spikes protruding out left and right at the top of its blade. These Uruks had been created for the sole purpose of being Isengard's elite shock troops. Saruman had dubbed this breed of Uruk 'Berserkers' as they were created to fight with an unquenchable frenzy. Saruman would have liked for this Isengardian army to contain more Berserkers than its current complement of thirty. But given the number of defenders at Helm's Deep that his crebain told him of, Saruman was confident this number of Berserkers would more than suffice.

Thor and Gimli had spread apart somewhat as they each simultaneously intercepted a Berserker jumping off a ladder on to the Deeping Wall. Gimli buried his two-handed axe into the stomach of the Berserker that faced him, resulting in its black blood spraying everywhere. Thor simply crushed the ribs of his respective Berserker with a blow of Mjolnir that sent the Berserker flying back over the Deeping Wall.

"Thor's kill was more impressive Gimli!" Legolas called out having observed the pair.

"This is a competition of quantity, not quality Elf!" Gimli exclaimed before he hacked down another Berserker.

"In that case, I'm on seventeen!" Legolas proudly advised before he shot down two Berserkers at the top of separate ladders. "Nineteen"!

"We have some quick catching up to do Odinson!" Gimli noted to Thor.

Thor answered "I shall do so as I help one of our friends Gimli"!

Out of the corner of his eye, Thor had noticed to his right that Aragorn was trying to fend off a pair of Berserkers that were attacking him. While the Fellowship members seemed to have the Berserkers measure, a number of the Galadhrim had fallen to their deadly blades. With powerful sweeps, the Berserkers began to cut through sections of the Galadhrim's ranks using their swords like a scythe through a wheat field. As the Galadhrim that were closest to Aragorn at the start of the Berserker's assault now lay dead, Thor speeded to the Ranger's assistance.

Aragorn was finally able to gut one of the Berserkers with his own sword but barely had the time to parry the blow of the other. Before their swords clashed, Aragorn saw the Berserker fly rightwards back over the wall. Standing in the Berserkers place was Thor, the defender who had dispatched it.

"I could've handled that one!" Aragorn snapped at Thor as a number Galadhrim from their reserves rushed up to fill the gap on the Deeping Wall where both of them stood.

Thor was taken momentarily thrown by these words until he saw Aragorn arch an eyebrow. Aragorn wryly informed him "I've decided to follow your advice to me Thor – about being less humble"!

Thor let out a quick laugh at Aragorn's remark. But beneath that Thor was also glad that perhaps Aragorn was finally coming to terms with his heritage and accepting his destiny. Thor's thoughts were quickly dragged back to the here and now when Aragorn gave him a sober assessment of the current situation.

"For every orc ladder we knock down, two more take its place along the Wall. At this rate, we shall be overrun sooner rather than later".

"Allow me to stem the tide my friend!" Thor stated before he ran to where Gimli was while Aragorn engaged another Berserker.

The Fellowship's Dwarf stood at the top of the Deeping Wall parapets standing between two assault ladders. With the Berserkers having disrupted the defenders formation, the regular armoured Uruks had begun to climb up the ladders to continue the attack. Gimli alternated killing the Uruk that reached the top of each ladder he stood between. He was counting aloud so as not to lose track of his number of kills.

"Twenty!" he counted with gusto

"I'm on six" Thor replied.

Gimli chuckled before playfully teasing Thor "You're falling behind Odinson"!

"Not for long" Thor calmly advised.

Saruman did not know it, but Old Norse literature recorded descriptions and deeds of warriors called 'berserkers' also. These berserkers fought in battle with an uncontrollable rage seemingly unafraid of injury or death. As he did against the warg-riders, Thor had within him the power to release an unmatched berserker rage all of his own. If he were present at the battle, Saruman would see that his new breed of Uruk-hai had a long way to go to match Thor's standard of 'going berserk'.

Focusing its returning energies, Thor swung Mjolnir with a fearsome cry into the ladder to Gimli's left. The impact of Mjolnir's blow caused the whole ladder to shatter into a mess of wood and iron splinters. The Uruks that were climbing the ladder fell to the ground from a variety of heights. Thor similarly destroyed the ladder to Gimli's right a second later.

As Thor moved to repeat this action against every other assault ladder leaning on the Deeping Wall, he heard from behind him the protest of a seemingly outraged Gimli.

"_Destroy your own orc ladders from now on"!_

* * *

The Rohirrim defenders had not been idle during the Uruk-hai's assault on the Deeping Wall. At Theoden's order, delivered through Gamling, the Rohirrim archers along the Outer Wall released a hail of arrows at the attacking Uruks. Being three times the height from the ground than the Deeping Wall, the Outer Wall afforded the Rohirrim a great position to shoot down from. However, even the archery skills of the professional soldiers among the Rohirrim present were well below those of the Galadhrim. The Uruks did not even consider the Rohirrim's missile attacks enough of a problem to warrant a response with their crossbows. They had a different tactic in mind for the Rohirrim.

"They commence their assault on the Main Gate" Boromir told Rogers while pointing to the bottom of the Causeway.

Even in the rain, Rogers could clearly see the Uruks that Boromir was pointing at were organising themselves into formation. Their formation was a tight column whose ranks were five across. The first rank placed their shields to their front while the Uruks behind them that formed the left and right of the column raised their shields side-on. The three middle rows of the column had raised their shields above their heads. The Uruks moved slowly up the Causeway to keep their shields overlapped with very little gaps for any missiles to get through. The Uruk column reminded Rogers of the famed 'testudo' formation of the legions of Ancient Rome.

"It would be a challenge in accuracy for even Legolas to penetrate that formation" Boromir grimly remarked to Rogers.

"Well before we kill the tortoise let's crack its shell open a bit" Rogers answered before jumping on top of the Gatehouse parapets in front of him.

Boromir thought that if they both survived this battle, he would ask Rogers why he thought such a docile animal was an appropriate metaphor to use in the current circumstances. Boromir then ordered the Rohirrim archers defending the Gatehouse "Archers, prepare to fire at my command"!

Standing side-on with perfect balance atop the parapets, Rogers held his shield across his chest with his left hand. Given the battlefield conditions, he took longer than normal to get his aim right. The slow movement of the Uruk column allowed time to do this, even if he only needed a couple more seconds. Satisfied with his aim, Rogers let rip with his shield at the Uruk column.

As Rogers planned, his shield cut through the first two ranks of the Uruk's formation from right to left on a narrow trajectory. After exiting the formation, Rogers' shield hit the cliff wall west of the Causeway before deflecting back into Rogers' waiting hand. The Uruk formation was a very compact one but it had not been designed to deflect a high speed vibranium object thrown by a Super Soldier. The first two ranks of Uruk-hai were instantly killed by the deep cuts caused by the flying shield or being simply dissected during its movement. Their deaths caused a domino effect down the rest of the Uruk's formation. The third rank of Uruks stumbled over the remains of the first two before the fourth rank fell over them in return. This caused several gaps to open between the previously overlapping shields that characterised the formation.

Boromir's eyes lit up at this. When Rogers jumped back behind the parapets, Boromir quickly thrust his right index finger at the exposed Uruk-hai on the Causeway while shouting to the archers around him "FIRE"!

The conscripts arrows flew all over the place, but those of the Rohirrim sentries and yeomen hit true. Noticing the situation on the Causeway from the Deeping Wall, Aragorn ordered the Galadhrim using their bows to shoot at the exposed Uruks as well. Thor's destruction of most of the assault ladders meant a lot more Galadhrim were available to do this than what otherwise might have been.

The Rohirrim around Boromir and Rogers let out a mighty cheer at the Uruk formation wilting under a hail of arrows. Its survivors made a tactical retreat back down the Causeway. Both Captains could see on the Rohirrim's faces their morale improving as a result of this small victory. The losses from the defeat of this formation's attack were very minor to the Isengardian army as a whole. But those losses were a major fillip for the confidence of the Rohirrim. A growing number of them began thinking that maybe they would survive this night after all.

Rogers said to Boromir with slight understatement "All things considered, we could be doing a lot worse".

"We're doing better than that Steve" Boromir replied to him with a half grin and a wink. "I'd say we're doing 'ok'"!

As Rogers shared a laugh with the first person in Middle-earth to use American slang, behind them Theoden assessed the battle. The King stood within the command turret lined along the top of the Inner Wall. If he could have heard the pair, Theoden would have agreed with Rogers and Boromir's casual analysis. The Uruk-hai had yet to reach the Main Gates and their first attempt had been driven back by his men. With the rain receding and lesser cloud cover blocking out the night sky, Theoden now had a much better view of the fighting along the Deeping Wall. The Galadhrim had admirably beaten the numerous attacks the Uruks had made against it. More accurately the Galadhrim had assisted Thor in repelling the attacks. It was easy for Theoden to spot Thor along the Deeping Wall. Thor's red cloak billowed behind him while engaging Uruk-hai along the Wall's length. The only thing that prevented Theoden from being completely staggered by the manner and speed that Thor dispatched Uruk-hai was that he had witnessed Thor decimate the warg-riders in a similar fashion. Gamling also told him about how Rogers had broken the Uruk attack up the Causeway. Theoden thought if these two 'Avengers' continued in this manner, their deeds at Helm's Deep would soon surpass in legend the ones made in its defence by Helm Hammerhand.

Feeling confident about the situation at hand, Theoden murmured a taunt to his absent archenemy "Is this it? Is this all you can conjure Saruman"?

In the old Riddermark tongue, the name 'Saruman' meant 'man of skill'. Having learnt how Saruman had created the Uruk-hai as well as his plans for Banner, Rogers earlier thought that Saruman would closely match the villain archetype of 'mad scientist'. Either way both descriptions didn't do justice to Saruman's genius for crafting and invention. The former White Wizard had instructed the Uruk Commander on how to use the 'Fire of Isengard' he had invented. Having failed to make much progress on the fortifications, the Commander now decided it was time to deploy the strongest 'Fire' against Helm's Deep.

From their position at top of the Gatehouse, Boromir and Rogers noticed that the Uruk-hai had opened a narrow file in their ranks leading right up to the Deeping Wall. They made out a pair of orc sappers placing something where the iron culvert was located at the Wall's base. A second pair of sappers followed closely behind the first pair.

"That's not how you undermine a wall by tunnelling" a puzzled Boromir commented.

Rogers gave a slight nod in agreement before the lightning within the remnants of the storm lit up the battlefield. Rogers eyes widened in horror when the lightning revealed what the sappers were carrying. He might be in Middle-earth but as far as Rogers was concerned the shape of an explosive mine was universal. The answer to his frantic guessing of what could be the mines' trigger mechanism revealed itself in the shape of the only Uruk Berserker that was still alive. The Berserker sprinted towards the mines holding a torch lit like a flare in its right hand.

"_Shoot the torchbearer! SHOOT THE TORCHBEARER!"_ Rogers screamed while pointing at the said Uruk. Rogers hoped that every defender with a bow would hear his order.

Even at their current height, the Berserker was out of effective range for the Rohirrim archers to hit despite them trying to do so. Along the Deeping Wall, Legolas was the only archer within range of Roger's voice able to act on Captain America's order. Legolas shot the torchbearer with two arrows in quick succession but the Berserker's constitution was made of sterner stuff. Feeling its life slipping away, the Berserker made a desperate lunge at the explosive mines

All the defenders close around him, including Boromir, immediately obeyed Rogers' sharp command of "Get down"! Rogers crouched down holding his shield to cover himself and whatever Howling Commandos he could.

_BOOM!_

The mines placed in the culvert immediately detonated when they were lit by the Berserker's torch. The explosion from the mines tore through the masonry of the Deeping Wall while scattering rock, stone, dust as well as Elves and Orcs in all directions. The increase in morale the Rohirrim had gained a short while ago was shattered. Either by the sound of the explosion or the huge gap in the Deeping Wall the mines had created.

Being used to the sound of explosions on the battlefield, Rogers stood up quickest and surest among the defenders he had joined in crouching down. Waiting for the dust from the explosion to settle, Rogers recalled the assessment he made within the Golden Hall about the Uruk-hai's capabilities. _At least I didn't say it wasn't as though the Uruk-hai carry The Bomb _Rogers reflected with black humour.

While he still looked on in shock at the effects of the explosive mines, out the corner of his left eye Boromir's attention was quickly grabbed by something else. While the defenders had their attention taken by the destruction of the Deeping Wall, the Uruks had reformed their shield formation and had resumed their assault up the Causeway. Uruks at the formation's left and right edges began falling off the Causeway as a battering ram was passed through the formation. They were only a few yards away from using it. It was small comfort to Boromir thinking that Gondor could have fallen years before if Mordor's orcs coordinated their battlefield attacks as well as the Uruk-hai did.

Seeing the approaching Uruk-hai coming up the Causeway, Theoden ignored normal protocol of giving his orders through Gamling. "Brace the Gate!" he loudly ordered for all Rohirrim to hear. The Rohirrim soldiers within the Gatehouse threw themselves against the Main Gate to strengthen its resistance to the oncoming battering ram. Rogers, Boromir and the other defenders on top of the Gatehouse heard Theoden's command clearly as well.

Turning to the young boys behind him, Rogers ordered them "Alright Commandos, the King needs our help"!

As Rogers had instructed them prior to the battle, the young boys he had made Howling Commandos went straight for the hessian sacks full of rocks that lay behind the parapets atop the Gatehouse. They threw them as strong as they could down on to the Uruks that began using the battering ram against the Main Gate. Boromir ordered the other defenders with either bows or javelins to join in the defence of the Main Gate.

Rogers was about to join in the defence by throwing his shield when some of the Rohirrim defenders to his right suddenly dropped dead. Rogers noticed the dead Rohirrim had one or more thick iron metal bolts protruding from their chests. Rogers quickly looked over the Outer Wall. Satisfied with the breach in the Deeping Wall, the Uruk Commander ordered his crossbow companies to now fire in support of the Uruk-hai ramming the Main Gate. Rogers turned and swiftly raised his shield to protect himself and the boys dropping rocks from the top of the Gatehouse.

While the Uruk crossbow bolts were able to penetrate Galadhrim and Rohirrim armour, they were not designed to penetrate protection made of vibranium. Rogers' shield easily deflected the bolts shot at him and his rock throwers. But his shield could not protect all under his command. Rogers spun his head to the right when he heard the death cries of a couple of Commandos who did not have the protection of his shield. Despite their 'unit' sustaining its first losses, the young boys persisted in carrying out their duties. Haleth and Eothain both encouraged and helped boys younger than themselves. Rogers was full of pride as he saw the young Rohirrim boys that he had dubbed 'Howling Commandos' act like the bravest of men who had carried the title.

Rogers had not forgotten about the breach in the Deeping Wall. But given the Gatehouse was under attack he was unable to give any assistance there. The best he could do was to give the Avenger that had been located there a silent variation of the order he had given to Banner during the Chitauri invasion.

_Thor, now would be a good time for you to live up to the myths about you._

* * *

The detonation from the explosive mines killed at least half of the remaining Galadhrim that had been placed upon it. Not just from the heat of the explosion but also from being hit by the fast moving stone debris the energy of the explosion had created. Other Galadhrim were thrown either side of the Deeping Wall from the force of the explosion. Those that landed outside the Deeping Wall, if they were still alive, were promptly torn apart by the Uruk's blades.

Of course being so close to the Deeping Wall, many Uruks also perished when the mines detonated. As he considered them expendable in the overall scheme of things, Saruman did not tell the Uruk-hai about the concept of 'blast radiuses'. As the Uruk-hai shared the universal Orc trait of a complete lack of empathy for others (including their own kind) they paid no heed to their fallen brethren. The only thing they cared about was that a breach had been made in the Deeping wall for them to move through and kill whatever defenders that lie behind it.

Of the Galadhrim along the Deeping Wall that had survived the explosion, including Haldir, nearly all of them laid unconscious. Either near where they stood when the mines detonated or lying on the dead ground behind the Deeping Wall where they had been thrown. Legolas and Gimli lay unconscious with the first group of Galadhrim while Aragorn and Thor lay with the second group. Aragorn and Thor had landed just in front of the group of Galadhrim that originally had been placed in reserve behind the Deeping Wall. Only thirty of them remained as the other twenty had been called to replace fallen Galadhrim prior to the mines exploding. Being the only Galadhrim currently standing, they were still reeling from what they had just seen. Even being accustomed to Galadriel's powers over centuries was no preparation to watch the effects from Middle-earth's first use of gunpowder. It was not the only thing that night that the Galadhrim would witness and be confounded by.

The defenders that had been knocked out by the detonation began groggily coming to except one. Thor's Asgardian constitution allowed him to treat being thrown from the Deeping Wall as if it were but a minor stumble. As if to emphasise the point, after spritely standing up he absently brushed off some of the dust on his armour. Thor's attention was then grabbed by the falchion and pike carrying Uruk-hai making their way through the breach. As the mines had blown away the culvert at the base of the Deeping Wall, the shallow pond of water it steadily drained now flooded towards the oncoming Uruks. The Uruks did even break step in the ankle deep water as they ran through the breach. Sensing the power in Mjolnir, Thor smiled that the Uruk assault was in the perfect location to be halted. One storm had petered out over Helm's Deep, but a more violent one was about to break.

Lying on the ground as he came around Aragorn noticed Thor standing to the front of him with his back turned. He saw Thor quickly point Mjolnir skywards with his outstretched right arm. Aragorn and every other defender in the vicinity was stilled with wide eyed amazement as they witnessed a powerful lightning bolt stream from the heavens into Mjolnir's head. Aragorn now realised that when Thor spoke about the 'God of Thunder' being present at this battle, the Avenger was speaking about himself in third person!

After Thor had drawn as much lightning as his reduced powers allowed, he pointed Mjolnir at the water the breaching Uruks charged through. As soon as Thor released the stored lightning bolt, dozens of charging Uruk-hai suddenly halted as their bodies went into violent spasms. Their steel boots were a deadly conductor of the powerful electric current that Thor had supercharged the water they stood in.

Thor felt no small sense of satisfaction at the sight of dozens of electrocuted Uruks suddenly dropping dead. His satisfaction was tempered when he sensed he would have to wait to summon lightning again as that power 'recharged'. Still, that was better than not being able to summon it all. As more of Mjolnir's energies returned, Thor was confident he would soon be able to summon at will his trademark natural elements. Thor then remembered his remark when he was unable to use lightning against the Orcs the Avengers had first encountered.

"Two out of four!" he murmured to himself before charging in berserk rage at the fresh companies of Uruk-hai now coming through the breach. These Uruks were slowed in their assault by the dozens of orc bodies they had to run over caused by Thor's lightning bolt.

Now standing and with his mind having just caught up with what his eyes had just witnessed, Aragorn ordered the Galadhrim behind him to follow and charge with their sabres at the breaching Uruk-hai.

The front ranks of the Uruk-hai they charged towards were predominantly armed with pikes. But they never had the chance to deploy them given the speed of Thor's singular charge. Twirling Mjolnir, Thor scattered the Uruks who faced him with an even greater ferocity than those he dispatched along the Deeping Wall. As he witnessed displaced pikes flying in all directions, Aragorn wondered how many Galadhrim that Thor had saved from being impaled upon them.

Back on top the Deeping Wall, Legolas and Gimli saw Thor, Aragorn and the Galadhrim launch a fierce counterattack against the Uruk's assault through the breach. They were both conscious when Thor unleashed his lightning attack but were still in disbelief to discuss it.

"Come Gimli, let's launch an attack of our own!" Legolas exclaimed before skating down a flight of stairs on a disused Uruk shield. Legolas released arrows in rapid succession into the flanks of the assaulting Uruk-hai. Not possessing his friend's athleticism, Gimli simply charged towards the edge where the breach began at the top of the Deeping Wall before jumping off it.

"_Baruk Khazad"!_

The Uruks directly below Gimli all heard his repetition of the Dwarves' famed battle cry before he landed in their midst. Both the Uruks and Gimli himself fell to the ground from the impact of his leap. Now thankful not to be wearing heavy armour, Gimli quickly got to his feet before attacking the Uruk-hai surrounding him. The other defenders rapidly defeated any Uruk-hai that stood the couple of yards between them and Gimli.

"Now who of the pair of us is behind in our competition?" Thor taunted Gimli in good humour.

Gimli indignantly replied "If I'd known about all your powers Odinson, I would've given you a handicap before we started it"!

* * *

Banner, Pippin, and Merry stood in the middle of the Ent Moot having been invited to by Treebeard.

"I am now able to tell you three about what the Ent Moot has decided to do about Saruman which has been a great source of anxiety to you" Treebeard told the trio.

_Gee I hope you Ents didn't have hurry on our account! _Banner sarcastically thought while resisting the need to roll his eyes.

Speaking like a county judge passing a sentence for a minor incident of shoplifting, Treebeard spoke "The Ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done".

"_You're joking!_" an incredulous Banner responded. Because it was dark no one around Banner noticed, that for a moment, his skin took a slight shade of green.

"How can that possibly be your decision?!" an equally disbelieving Merry asked Treebeard.

"This is not our war" Treebeard stated matter of fact.

Banner calmed himself before trying to reason with the Ent Moot "You think by not getting involved that's going to save Fangorn? Saruman's coming for you once he destroys Rohan. Given the size of his army I'd say that'll probably be sooner rather than later"!

"The three of us have friends caught up in this war!" Merry added before pleading. "Surely there's something you can do you help them. Please"!

Many Ents shared slightly guilty looks after Merry and Banner had spoken. But none of them would argue against Treebeard, who was the oldest of their kind. Treebeard gently parted his wisdom to the three Fellowship members.

"You are young and brave little Masters. But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your homes".

"I don't have that option Treebeard!" Banner sharply informed the Ent. Remembering what Rogers told him about the vision in Galadriel's Mirror, Banner then soberly announced "Because of your Ent Moot's decision, I think you've just about guaranteed that all our homes will now go up in flames".

Merry and Banner quickly walked out of the Ent Moot with Pippin closely following them.

"Can you believe that?!" Banner rhetorically asked Merry in reference to the Ents' decision to sit out the War of the Ring.

"It'll give us something to talk about while the Ents say 'Goodbye' over the next several hours!" Merry replied with bitter sarcasm.

Pippin understood that it was natural for Banner and Merry to be upset that the Ent Moot's decision was not the one they wanted. Inwardly he shared their disbelief at the Ents' decision. But after what Banner had told him and Merry about Hulk, Pippin thought it best to try and curb Banner's anger. Unlike Banner, Hulk would not express displeasure at the Ents' decision by a few angry words. Further, Treebeard and the Ents were thousands of years old and possibly the oldest creatures alive in Middle-earth. The wisdom of such beings couldn't possibly be wrong could it?

After the trio had returned to their waiting area, Pippin tried to soothe Merry and Banner's feelings by stating "Maybe Treebeard's right".

"What makes you say that Pippin?" Banner asked with a half frown.

Relieved that Banner asked him the question with relative calm, Pippin explained "This war is too big for the three of us, four of us if you count Hulk. But the War could be too big even for him"! With his characteristic optimism, the Took then offered to Banner "I know Bruce you still haven't found a way back to Earth. But maybe you can stay with us in the Shire until you do! While we've never had 'big folk' living with hobbits before, even the most close-minded of us would welcome a Man who is a doctor and is pretty smart about a lot of other stuff. Maybe you could even teach me how to be the Shire's first vet"!

Banner gave a sad smile at Pippin's touching innocence about the nature of evil before giving his reply.

"Unfortunately Pippin on Earth there are people like Saruman. Not only are they cruel and manipulative but they don't stop until every person who could oppose them is either dead or enslaved".

"What do you mean Bruce?" a genuinely puzzled Pippin asked him.

Merry had his back turned when Pippin and Banner had commenced their discussion. While the pair talked, Merry went to collect his coat and Galadhrim cloak that lay on the ground. After hearing Pippin and Bruce's every word, Merry slowly turned around to face the pair before giving a forlorn answer to his cousin.

"What Bruce is saying Pippin is that there won't be a Shire for you to be a vet in…"

* * *

**Unfortunately the Battle of Helm's Deep (or 'Battle of the Hornburg' more accurately) is too big for me to fit all in one chapter. Especially for Thor to exercise his returning powers even more.**

**Yes, Boromir's observation about the Uruk-hai charging at the Deeping Wall was based on the line Sean Bean delivered when he played Odysseus in _Troy_.**

**My assumption that there are tortoises in Middle-earth is the result of me playing**_** Lord of the Rings Online**_** too much.**


	23. Delaying Actions

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

02/04/2013

The Easter break (and the associated sugar rush) allowed me to produce this chapter quicker than under normal circumstances.

**MasterXMaster**: The jpeg I have for this story is my Champion facing the Tower of Orthanc. Him being able to use Thor's powers would have saved me a great deal of grief from all too many ToO raids.

**vincent1875**: Anyone who is familiar with the Waterworks in the LOTRO Mines of Moria would agree with your observation without hesitation.

* * *

**Chapter 23 – Delaying Actions**

The Main Gate still held firm as the Royal Guards and regular soldiers inside the Gatehouse braced it from the relentless pounding the Uruks' battering ram was giving it. Unfortunately they were unable to get much support from the defenders placed atop the Gatehouse and Outer Wall. The Uruk-hai had subjected those defenders, who were mostly conscripts, to a continual barrage of crossbow bolts. Many defenders instinctively kept their heads down in reaction but in doing so significantly reduced the contribution they could make to the defence. Those defenders brave enough to rise to their full height ran the risk of being struck down by two or three bolts at a time.

Used to battle, Rogers and Boromir remained standing as an example to those under their command. Aside from his shield, Rogers enhanced reflexes meant he had hardly any problem intercepting any bolts aimed in his direction. As the Howling Commandos had already lost a quarter of their original number, Rogers had only three of them dropping rocks at any one time. The others he had ordered to crouch down. Rogers kept rotating the Commandos who threw rocks to prevent them from getting tired as well as having a small enough number to protect with his shield.

When they could, both Captains checked on the battle around the Deeping Wall. They both had seen Thor's recent display of power used it its defence. Like all defenders who had witnessed the lightning attack (with the exception of Rogers) Boromir was struggling to believe what his eyes had seen. When there was the opportunity, Boromir indirectly asked Rogers how Thor could bend lightning to his will.

"Is Thor not able to summon any more lightning to aid us"?

Rogers reassured him "If Thor isn't using lightning it's a case of 'can't' not 'won't'".

At this moment Thor and Gimli were at the forefront of the Galadhrim's efforts in containing the Uruk-hai coming through the breach in the Deeping Wall. The tallest and shortest defenders assigned to the Deeping Wall both played a large part in driving back the Uruk-hai outside the breach. The pair of them and the Galadhrim now used the breach as a chokehold to reduce the Uruk-hai's numerical advantage. As Thor battled against countless Uruks wanting to come through the breach, he sensed Mjolnir still contained a remanent of the lightning bolt he had drawn into it earlier. Seeing it wasn't enough to scatter the Uruk-hai like before, he decided to keep that remanent in reserve for now. But Thor sensed another elemental power returning to Mjolnir…

The Uruk Commander was not blind as to how the assault he ordered through the breach had been stopped. Consequently he ordered many of his numerous reserves to begin attacking the Deeping Wall by assault ladder again. This time the accursed red-cloaked man was not in a position to break them.

In defending the Deeping Wall breach, Aragorn had taken on more the role of commander rather than warrior. Aragorn stood a bit behind the ranks of breach defenders as he coordinated their efforts. From this position, Aragorn was able to see the Uruk-hai beginning climb over the Wall again by their ladders. The minimal number of Galadhrim still defending along the top of the Wall would soon be overrun. Once this happened, the Uruk-hai would then stream down the flights of stairs along the Wall and begin attacking the force of defenders guarding the breach. Having the God of Thunder as one the breach defenders meant Aragorn wasn't so uneasy when he increased the number of Galadhrim along the Wall by reducing the number standing against the breach.

From the command turret Theoden had also noticed the Uruk-hai's resumed use of assault ladders. Unlike Aragorn at the moment, Theoden could see the vast number of Uruks lining up to climb the Wall from the outside.

The King told Gamling who stood to his right "Those Elves will soon be outflanked and surrounded. Pull them back and let's hope Prince Thor does not get upset with us depriving him of more glory".

Aragorn then heard Gamling shout at him from above "Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your elves out of there"! At this Aragorn began repeating the order in Sindarin to the surviving Galadhrim.

Legolas had joined Thor and Gimli in defending the breach. The Elf was using his fighting knives instead of his bow given the close quarter combat. Upon hearing Aragorn's order, he repeated it in the Common Tongue to Gimli and Thor while partly dreading their reactions to it.

"Aragorn calls on us to fall back to the Keep. If we stay here the Uruks on the Wall above shall soon surround us"!

The fears Theoden and Legolas had about Thor being told this order were misplaced. Even with his returning powers, Thor didn't even for a second consider it beneath him to obey Aragorn. Also, much to Odin's pride in his heir, Thor no longer valued battlefield glory above the lives of his friends or the innocents he had sworn to protect. However, the breaching Uruks prevented Thor, Legolas and Gimli from following Aragorn's order. The Uruk-hai's inherent bloodlust drove them to relentlessly attack the breach despite the literal hammering they were suffering at the hands of Thor.

"Allow me to give all of us a safe retreat" Thor stated.

Legolas pensively guessed what Thor was about to do next "More lightning"?

With the slightest of menacing smiles Thor responded "No - what follows it"!

Thor quickly thrust Mjolnir outwards before releasing a powerful thunderclap directly at the Uruks arrayed in front of him. Thor's terrible sonic attack instantly killed the Uruks closest in range when its resonance shattered their armour and bones. The other Uruks affected by this attack dropped to their knees or lay writhing on the ground clutching the sides of their helmets. These Uruks released a series of grating cries confirming their eardrums had been painfully burst by the sonic boom. Legolas, Gimli and a number of Galadhrim silently wondered why they also had not been deafened by a sound even louder than the exploding mines.

Seeing there was now no Uruk-hai within thirty yards of the breach that could hinder escape, Thor hurried Legolas and Gimli with "Let us away my friends"!

Even Gimli did not object to Thor's suggestion that they join the surviving Galadhrim in retreating. When the Fellowship camped along the Anduin, Thor told Gimli and Legolas that his battle with the Destroyer was of 'thunder and lightning'. _Now I know Odinson wasn't using those terms metaphorically _the Dwarf thought as he ran towards the flight of stairs that lead up into the Hornburg.

During the action at the breach Aragorn had been ordering the Galadhrim remaining on the Deeping Wall to fall back also. Haldir was among them. With supreme selflessness, he had been covering his subordinates' retreat until the boom of Thor's sonic attack momentarily distracted him. This distraction meant he was too slow in parrying an Uruk's attack from his front. The Uruk's falchion cut through the armour protecting Haldir's left forearm. Haldir quickly defeated the Uruk but was stunned by the pain and blood gashing from the large wound the Uruk had given him. Because of this, Haldir failed to notice the Uruk about to attack him from behind.

Both Aragorn and Thor had noticed with wide-eyed horror the imminent danger that Haldir was in. Not surprisingly, the latter was the quickest to react to it. Thor charged at a flight of stairs close to Haldir's position. Thor leapt up to the midpoint of the stairs from side-on before launching himself at the offending Uruk. Just as the Uruk was about to bring its falchion downward onto Haldir's skull, Thor sent it flying back over the Wall with Mjolnir like he had with countless other Uruk-hai during the battle. Thor put his left arm around Haldir to prevent the Marchwarden from falling over.

After he put his right arm around Thor's shoulders, Haldir gasped to his rescuer "Don't let me slow your escape Prince Thor"!

"Your noble offer is unnecessary brave Haldir" Thor replied.

In a show of his enormous strength Thor lifted Haldir up from the ground with his left arm. Thor retreated from the Deeping Wall in the reverse manner of how he had effected Haldir's rescue.

Thor began to follow Aragorn up the stairs into the Hornburg while effortlessly holding Haldir. A multitude of angry orc growls from behind indicated that the Uruk-hai were now pouring through the unguarded breach in the Deeping Wall in pursuit of the retreating defenders. A low metallic hum from Mjolnir made Thor suddenly halt. Haldir wondered why Thor had stopped and turned left to face the pursuing Uruk-hai that were now within ten yards of them. The reason was because the sound from Mjolnir told Thor that he could now utilise another returning power.

At a mental command from Thor, Mjolnir rapidly flew out of his hand headfirst at the oncoming Uruk-hai. Mjolnir knocked down two or three Uruks at a time as it travelled in a straight trajectory. Thor sensed he could only utilise this power as far as the breach after which point Mjolnir would simply drop to the ground. But like his powers to summon the elements, Thor was certain his ability to project Mjolnir would increase in strength as time wore on. After summoning it back, Mjolnir knocked down more Uruks on its return flight into Thor's outstretched right hand.

"Three out of four!" Thor triumphantly proclaimed as he wrapped his fingers around Mjolnir's shaft again.

From a mixture of disorientation from his wound and seeing another remarkable demonstration of power by Thor, Haldir remarked "Your flying hammer hit the orcs with much greater accuracy than that Prince Thor"!

As Thor resumed with Haldir towards the Hornburg, he advised the Elf "I could not let Lothlorien's Captain of the Royal Guard fall while I still grieve for Rohan's".

Thor and Haldir were the last surviving defenders of the Deeping Wall to retreat into the Hornburg. Because of the pursuing Uruk-hai that Thor had displaced by Mjolnir's flight, Aragorn and Legolas were able to close and bar the Hornburg's heavy iron door with time to spare. After placing the wounded Haldir on the floor against a wall, Thor ran up to the door.

"Avert your eyes!" Thor ordered the defenders around him. After they had done so, Thor slowly released the remaining energy from the lightning bolt to weld the door to its frame.

After finishing this action, Thor confidently stated "Assuming the Uruk-hai possess no further explosives, this door will hold against them".

Aragorn examined to Haldir's wound as the Uruk-hai began a futile attempt to breakdown the Hornburg door with their fists. After ordering one of the Galadhrim to go and get medical supplies from the hospice, Aragorn gave new orders to the Fellowship members.

"Legolas, Thor, Gimli. Take the Galadhrim and assist with the defence of the Gatehouse"!

Legolas repeated this order in Sindarin before all but two of the twenty-two survivors of the company from Lothlorien followed him, Thor and Gimli to Aragorn's instructed destination.

* * *

The Uruk-hai assault on the Main Gate finally yielded its first success. The spot on the Gate that had been subjected to relentless pounding splintered open creating a gap roughly the width of the battering ram. The Uruks directly in charge of the ram had prepared for this eventuality. At a signal, a number of Uruk marksmen brought their crossbows to the gap and shot down a number of Rohirrim on the other side of it.

Theoden couldn't directly see what was happening inside the Gatehouse from the Inner Wall. But the death screams of the Rohirrim bracing the Main Gate was all the indication he needed to know that they were in trouble.

Pulling out Herugrim from its scabbard, Theoden then ordered Gamling and the other Royal Guards held in reserve "To the Gate! Draw your swords"!

Rogers heard Theoden's command from behind. Looking over his left shoulder he saw Theoden and his closest subordinates rushing down towards the Main Gate. It was then that Rogers recalled Gandalf's words to Aragorn and himself about fearing for Theoden and the survival of Rohan.

Rogers fully understood the Wizard's concerns. Even if the Rohirrim were victorious at Helm's Deep, the War of the Ring still needed to be fought. Should Theoden fall in this battle, it wouldn't just be a devastating blow to Rohan's national morale. With Theodred dead and Eomer technically still an outlaw (and with Eowyn suffering the 'hindrance' of her gender) Theoden's death could see Rohan's unity shatter with its nobles squabbling over whom of them should be its king. Those lords could even press their claims through violence maybe even leading to a civil war.

As if reading Rogers' mind, Boromir said to him "Go aid Theoden. I'll keep an eye on your boys".

Rogers gave Boromir an appreciative nod in response. Before he went after Theoden, Rogers knelt down in front of the Howling Commandos who were not dropping rocks. A Rohirrim sentry came up and stood in Rogers' former spot without having to even be asked.

"Alright Commandos listen up!" Rogers told them in a businesslike manner. "I've got to go help King Theoden. So while I'm away keep throwing the rocks like you've been doing and give Lord Boromir whatever help he asks for".

Haleth was straight to Rogers' left and spoke for all Commandos when he replied firmly "We shall honour your trust in us milord"!

Rogers gripped Haleth's right shoulder before telling him and the other Commandos with a half smile "And fighting alongside you boys tonight has been one of my greatest honours".

After seeing the proud smiles he was receiving from the boys for this remark, Rogers promised them "I'll be back as soon as I can"!

In the interests of saving time, Rogers jumped down from the top of the Gatehouse and landed in front of its inner entrance.

The fighting within the Gatehouse was chaotic to say the least. Revealed to Rogers for the first time was that Theoden was left-handed as he cut off the arm of an Uruk that was chocking Gamling. Roger's worse fears seemed to be realised when Theoden cried out when an Uruk-hai spear pierced the King's right shoulder. After killing the offending Uruk with a stab of Herugrim, Theoden was then pulled away from the front ranks by Gamling. Rogers rapidly moved to take the King's place.

The inside of the Gatehouse was too confined an area to throw his shield at the Uruks without the risk of hitting the Rohirrim. Rogers instead used his shield to hack down any Uruk that dared attack him through the hole in the Main Gate. Seeing Captain America deflect attacks by his shield and kill many of their kind with a singular punch, the Uruk-hai resumed using their battering ram. They hoped the force behind the battering ram's movements would knock over Rogers in addition to the Main Gates as a whole.

It was then that one of the defenders that had retreated from the Deeping Wall began fighting alongside Rogers. It was Thor. With the other defenders making room for him, Thor swung Mjolnir at the battering ram's head. The battering ram broke in half down its length making the Uruks holding it fall down on the Causeway.

While the Uruks scrambled to their feet, Thor remarked to Rogers "We both know the pair of us would be a more effective rampart than this Gate".

Silently agreeing with his fellow Avenger, Rogers called out to the defenders behind them "Take over from us"! Even though they were only meant to act under direct order from their King or Captain, half a dozen Royal Guards formed a shield-wall and rushed up to the Main Gate. The Uruk-hai began to hack at the door with their falchions to break it open given the loss of their battering ram. Rogers and Thor changed places with these Guards before rushing over to Theoden.

Rogers lied by omission to Theoden "Sir, Thor and I will buy you some time to make repairs"!

"Please give us as much as you can!" was Theoden's rejoinder at which Rogers and Thor quickly gave each other a small knowing smile.

It was about now that Legolas, Gimli and some of the Galadhrim arrived on the scene. Seeing the question on Rogers' face, Legolas plainly advised him "Aragorn tends to Haldir who has been wounded".

Noting this, Rogers then ordered "Legolas take the other Elves and help Boromir topside. Gimli help secure the Gate here. Thor you're with me"!

The Fellowship members split towards their ordered locations. Gimli moved up to take the place of a fallen Royal Guard covering the hole in the Gate. Gimli possessed some of the deep knowledge about building design and construction that was proverbial among the Dwarves of Middle-earth. As Gimli began attacking the Uruk-hai on the other side of the Gate he thought _I've never understood that despite making magnificent ramparts of stone, Men insist in having one of its weak points made of wood!_

Thor and Rogers had quietly slipped out of a side exit on the western side of the Gatehouse. They stood on a small ledge of parallel height to the Main Gates. Peering around a corner they took stock of the Uruks ferociously attacking through the Gates from the outside. The two Avengers would need to leap over a deep gap between the ledge and the Causeway if they were to engage these Uruks.

Standing behind Thor, Rogers had to crouch around the Asgardian to assess the situation. Upon standing at his full height Rogers referred to the gap in whispered tones "It's about as wide as the original gap in those stairs we had to jump over in Moria".

Thor recalled with a twinkle in his eye "I wonder if Gimli would asked to be tossed over the gap before us"?

"Only in an alternate universe!" Rogers wryly responded.

Thor gave Rogers a quick smirk before launching himself at the Uruk-hai on the Causeway with a fearsome cry. Rogers quickly followed in Thor's wake.

The Uruk-hai on the Causeway didn't know what hit them. Within a second of their landing, Thor and Rogers killed the Uruks that were attacking through the Gate. The two Avengers then began laying into the Uruks to their front without having to worry about being attacked from behind. Thor began sweeping many advancing Uruk-hai down the drop to his right. Rogers stood to Thor's left and used his shield as a melee weapon to dispatch any Uruks during this fight at close quarters. After seeing the two Avengers in action from his vantage point atop the Gatehouse, Boromir ordered all Galadhrim and Rohirrim with bows to concentrate their fire against the Uruk-hai using crossbows. Standing left next to Boromir, Legolas continued to fire arrows in support of Thor and Rogers. The Elf quietly wondered how far Thor was in front of himself and Gimli in their competition.

Boromir then ordered the three Commandos to his right who had been throwing rocks "You boys go rest with your other Commandos. But all of you still keep your heads down"! Boromir smiled as he heard from behind those three boys excitedly tell the other Commandos the latest deeds of Captain America and Prince Thor.

Theoden and Gimli coordinated repairs to the Main Gate as soon as Thor and Rogers engaged the Uruk-hai on the Causeway. Before the last gap in the gate was covered by a wooden plank, Theoden called out to the pair of Avengers that had their backs turned to him "Thor, Steve get out of there"!

As Rogers heard the said plank being nailed, he asked Thor with mock innocence "Did you hear someone call us to retreat"?

Thor immediately got the hint and replied "It's hard to hear anything above the dying screams of these of orcs!" before sending a couple of Uruks flying back down the Causeway.

* * *

During the recent action around the Gatehouse, the Uruk-hai readied their next line of attack on the fortress. The orc sappers had brought from Isengard the parts and equipment to construct four large ballistae. They had started construction of these not long after the Deeping Wall had been breached. The ballistae were now operational much to the impatient annoyance of the Uruk Commander. The sappers loaded each ballista with a fifteen-foot steel bolt possessing a three-pronged hook at its head. The other end of the bolt was a loop on which was tied a long rope from a pulley. At a command, the sappers fired three of the ballistae at the top of the Outer Wall that was east of the Gatehouse.

The ballistae bolts shot over the Outer Wall before being dragged back from the slack of their ropes by the respective pulley they were tied to. The bolts stopped when their hooks gripped the inside of the Outer Wall battlements perfectly. By a series of winches operated by the sappers, each ballista began to raise a wide ladder using the taunt rope for support. Each ladder was as tall as from the ground to the top of the Outer Wall. And each of these ladders was being ridden by hundreds of Uruk-hai eager to begin climbing them.

Demonstrating his superlative archery skills, Legolas manage to split one of the taunt ropes with an arrow from his bow. The ladder the rope was supporting crashed to the ground along with the Uruks climbing it. The Uruk-hai in response fired the ballista they had kept in reserve.

Rogers and Thor were not unaware of the Uruk-hai's intended assault up the Outer Wall even as they battled to hold the Causeway. If only because the Uruks armed with crossbows had been ordered to concentrate their fire at them while the ladders were being raised. The Uruk Commander didn't care that many Uruk marksmen now began to fall to the arrows of the Galadhrim. The Commander knew which defenders posed the greater threat to this attack. Thor swotted away the crossbow bolts fired at the Avengers while Rogers kept the Uruks advancing up the Causeway at bay. Indirectly aiding the pair was the Uruks on the Causeway being killed by 'friendly fire' from their crossbow-wielding brethren.

Rogers would have liked to throw his shield at the ladders to bring them down. But he currently needed it to hold back the Uruk-hai's attack on the Main Gate as well as cover Thor. The ladders were now fully raised and the Uruk-hai began eagerly climbing them. An alarmed Rogers noticed that one of them was close to the top of the Gatehouse – right where Rohan's Howling Commandos were placed.

Rogers quickly asked his fellow Avenger "Thor! Can you project your hammer again"?

Knowing the reason why Rogers asked him this question Thor answered "Soon but not as soon as you would like"! Thor sensed that power was still 'recharging'.

As the Uruks began rapidly pouring over the parapets along the Outer Wall and Gatehouse, Legolas dropped a length of rope down to the Causeway. Both Avengers heard the hidden plea for help in the Prince of Mirkwood's voice as he urged them to climb the rope with "Thor! Steve"!

In a case of perfect timing Thor sensed he could unleash another lightning attack. Thor didn't want to project it at the Uruks now within bounds of Helm's Deep least it also vaporise the defenders who were now in fierce melee combat with the orcs. He decided instead to prevent those defenders from having to fight more Uruk-hai than they did currently.

"Steve, change over"!

At Thor's request he and Rogers changed positions and roles on the Causeway without even blinking. In another piece of good luck, there was a gap of several yards between the two Avengers and the next Uruk-hai company intent on killing them. Thor raised Mjolnir skywards as Rogers deflected incoming crossbow bolts with his shield.

The other defenders of Helm's Deep were too caught up trying to hold back the growing number of Uruk-hai on the Outer Wall and Gatehouse to be awed at Thor drawing in another lightning bolt. Thor mentally commanded the lightning bolt he had drawn into Mjolnir to fork out in three directions. The bolt struck the ladders; the mass of Uruk marksmen firing at the two Avengers; and the line of Uruks advancing up the Causeway. Despite having three separate targets the mass energy from the bolt disintegrated all of them.

Satisfied with the burning remains of the three ladders and Uruk-hai he had targeted, Thor told Rogers "Go help our friends above. I'll remain to see if any orc still wishes to attack the Main Gate"!

Rogers then turned and abseiled up the rope at a rapid pace. When he climbed over Gatehouse parapets, Rogers witnessed the fighting between the defenders and the Uruk-hai. In theory, the Uruk-hai on the Outer Wall whom Thor's attack had cut off were caught in a pincer attack. Boromir, Legolas and the Rohirrim formed a pincer from the Gatehouse. Aragorn (who had returned from treating Haldir) and Gimli led the other pincer that was a mixture of Galadhrim and Royal Guards. In reality, there were no clear battle lines and along the wall defenders and attackers duelled in a confused mass while standing on the corpses of the fallen. The fallen included members of the Howling Commandos just as Rogers had earlier feared.

Until Thor's destruction of the ladders, the main objective of each pincer was to prevent the Uruks from accessing the stairs and ramps from the Outer Wall that led into the Inner Wall and the courtyard behind it. With the Avengers on the Causeway, the fight along the Outer Wall was much more evenly balanced. The attacking Uruks made the most of their numbers and had significantly reduced the number of defenders seeking to contain them despite suffering heavy losses of their own. Rogers knew if this situation didn't change quickly, he may have to ask Thor to aid him in beating back this attack. The disadvantage of this would be to allow the Uruk-hai to resume an unhindered attack on the Main Gate.

Rogers' spirit was quickly raised when he saw Haleth kill an Uruk by thrusting his sword into its side. Haleth slew the Uruk just as it was about to kill one of the younger Commandos. Rogers' pride in the young man quickly turned to horror when an Uruk hidden by the confusion cut down Haleth from behind. Haleth's death instantly spurred Rogers into action.

Rogers engaged the Uruks that the defenders led by Boromir were fighting. Legolas thought the grief stricken fury that drove Captain America's deadly actions made Thor's berserker rages seem pale by comparison. Rogers killed countless Uruks in a blur of shield cuts, punches and kicks. His anger was not even quenched when he sliced off the head of the Uruk that killed Haleth. Killing every Uruk along the Outer Wall was the only way he would get some satisfaction over the deaths of so many Commandos.

The Outer and Inner Walls were a pair of large concentric semi-circles that curved into the cliff face behind Helm's Deep. With no defenders to his immediate front, it was a design of the fortress that Rogers was about to use with deadly effect.

Aragorn and a handful of Galadhrim were the only defenders on the eastern side of the Outer Wall that blocked the encroaching Uruks from accessing its flight of stairs to the curved ramp beneath it. Once the Uruks reached this ramp it was just a few yards to enter the courtyard entrance located on the eastern side of the Inner Wall. Aragorn locked eyes with Rogers who was on the Uruks' other flank. He noticed Rogers held his shield in his right hand across his chest side-on. Getting the hint that Rogers delivered through an angry nod, Aragorn told the Galadhrim next to him in Sindarin "Duck"!

Instantly after Aragorn and the Galadhrim did this, Rogers then released his shield with a powerful throw. Following the eastern curvature of the Outer Wall, Rogers' shield rapidly sliced through the ranks of massed Uruks before it. The shield left a trail of split orc torsos in its wake. The Uruk that had its falchion raised over a ducking Aragorn didn't even have time to move it more than an inch from its apex before it became the last victim of Rogers' attack. Spinning clockwise, Rogers' shield hit the cliff wall the Outer Wall curved into before deflecting back at an angle into the taller Inner Wall. After it hit the Inner Wall, the shield deflected again this time back into Roger's waiting hand. The shield was utterly stained and drenched in the black blood of the Uruks that Rogers had slain with it during the course of the battle.

Roger's attack had changed the balance of the battle along the Outer Wall in favour of the defenders within moments. Captain America joined the defenders in quickly mopping up any Uruks that still stood between them. It was then that Aragorn and Rogers were able to speak to each other for the first time since the Battle of Helm's Deep had started.

With his momentary rage now spent, Rogers asked Aragorn "How's Haldir"?

"The wound on his forearm is bad but I've managed to stem the bleeding" Aragorn quickly replied. The Ranger added in sombre relief "At least his arm did not require amputation"!

Focusing their attention back on the battle, Aragorn asked Rogers a question of his own.

"With a sense of disbelief I must ask you Steve how much longer can Thor and yourself continue to hold the Causeway"?

With steely resolution Rogers answered "For as long as you'd like"! He then added as an afterthought "Although we wouldn't say 'no' to some fire support".

Legolas, who stood behind Rogers, advised "Unfortunately our stocks of arrows are getting dangerously low".

Thinking of a solution, Rogers called out to the only surviving Howling Commando whose name he knew "Eothain"!

An exhausted Eothain ran as fast as he could along the Outer Wall to Rogers. After a tired puff he asked "Yes Milord"?

"I want you and the other Commandos to start looking for any unused arrows we could use" Rogers ordered him. "Look in the armoury and even in the quivers of the dead and wounded. Go"! Rogers figured that after facing the Uruk-hai in hand-to-hand combat, it would hopefully not be as traumatic for the Commandos to search corpses. Eothain immediately raced off to pass on the order to the other five surviving Howling Commandos. Despite sustaining a casualty rate of more than seventy five per cent, the Commandos still didn't want to let down Captain America.

Thor cut a solitary figure on the Causeway. The Uruk-hai were still reeling from the Asgardian's previous display of power. Even those Uruks armed with crossbows had not fired at him least they suffer the fate of those that had just previously. Thor knew the loud thud behind him was Rogers returning to fight alongside him.

"I can project Mjolnir again" Thor told Rogers who had resumed position to his left.

Rogers replied with raised eyebrows "I think you know where to send it"!

Uruks in Mjolnir's flight path flew everywhere as it hit them on its journey. The four ballistae the Uruk-hai had constructed crumbled into a mess of steel and wood as soon as Mjolnir struck each of them. Both Avengers exchanged pleased smiles after Mjolnir returned to Thor.

The Uruk Commander clenched his jaw in anger and disbelief. Every attempt the Uruk-hai had made to breach the fortress had been beaten back by just two Men with extraordinary abilities! With the iron door at the base of the Hornburg welded shut and their ballistae destroyed, the only way still open to the Uruks was through the Main Gate. But of course that meant having to first get past the two Men who were now back on the Causeway!

As he took stock of the situation, the Commander estimated that he still had around 6,000 Uruk-hai at his command as well as a number of battering rams. With these numbers, the Commander was confident the Uruk-hai could still quickly claim Helm's Deep after the two Men fell. But the pair had beaten off every attack from every weapon the Uruk-hai had used against them. The Uruk Commander then had an idea. Calling over a pair of warg-riders he barked at them to get some new weapons from the Uruk-hai depot that was some thirty miles north of the battlefield. As the warg-riders sped off, the Commander ordered a fresh assault up the Causeway while ordering the Uruk marksmen to shoot at the other defenders.

Rogers casually told Thor "Seeing I wouldn't allow him to join us, Gimli asked if he could add my kills on the Causeway to his tally for that competition of yours".

"What did you say to that?" Thor asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Before engaging a fresh Uruk-hai assault, Rogers paraphrased the words Thor used to describe Avenger unity "I told him that one Avenger's kill is a kill for all of us"!

* * *

Pippin, Merry and Banner had resumed their riding positions on Treebeard as the Ent began escorting them out of Fangorn. There was no banter between the four of them. Banner and Merry were silently fuming over the Ent Moot's decision. Pippin was still coming to terms with the horrible fate that was in store for the Hobbits and their beloved Shire. Treebeard assumed the three non-Ents weren't talking was because they were admiring the beauty of Fangorn. He felt somewhat guilty having to interrupt these thoughts.

"I shall leave you at the western borders of the forest" Treebeard advised the trio he was carrying. "You can make your way north to your homeland from there".

"Thanks Treebeard. That's so kind of you" Banner sarcastically thanked him.

"Oh it's no trouble at all Master Bruce!" the Ent magnanimously replied.

Banner released an annoyed sigh at Treebeard's seeming ignorance about the whole concept of sarcasm.

Pippin recalled when he, Bruce and Merry last rode Treebeard how they saw that all the forest around Isengard had been cut down. If only he had one of those devices from Bruce's world called 'cameras'. He then could've shown Treebeard and the other Ents what Saruman's manipulations would ultimately mean for Fangorn. Pippin began thinking if by being manipulative Saruman was on to something…

"Wait! Stop!" Pippin urgently called out which bought Treebeard to a sudden halt.

"What's wrong Pippin?" a concerned Banner asked.

"Treebeard turn around! Take the three of us south!" Pippin firmly requested.

"South!" Treebeard gasped. "But that will lead you past Isengard"!

Pippin confidently answered with a gleam in his eye "Yes. Exactly. If we go south we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It's the last thing he'll expect".

Treebeard pondered Pippin's 'logic' for a moment before saying "Mmmm. That doesn't make much sense to me".

"Join the club!" a confused Banner agreed with Treebeard for the first time in hours.

Treebeard noted Banner's response before continuing "Well Master Bruce, hobbits are very small. Perhaps Master Pippin is right. South it is then"! As Treebeard began to turn around in that direction he advised his passengers "Hold on little masters"!

As Treebeard began walking again he said to Banner "Master Bruce I'd like you to tell me about the association you have just invited me to join. But perhaps after I tell you why going south feels to me like going downhill".

As a tired Banner rubbed his face with his right hand, Merry quietly questioned Pippin about the direction he had send Treebeard on.

"Are you mad? We'll be caught"!

Pippin looked south with knowing determination, as he replied "Not this time! Not after the things Bruce has told us…"

Merry thought that Pippin had picked strange circumstances for his first time at sounding enigmatic.

* * *

**Merry, Pippin, Bruce and someone else besides the Ents will have a more prominent role next chapter.**

**It's always been a puzzle to me why when Aragorn was ordered to get back into the keep to take his 'men' with him.**

**My late Mother always found Haldir's death to be upsetting. Mum, if you're reading this somewhere, Thor's save of Haldir was for you.**


	24. Smashing the White Hand

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

09/04/2013

From the reviews and the PMs I've received, a lot of readers have been looking forward to this chapter. I hope it meets your expectations.

**hug the ents**: No offence taken as you've identified one of the greatest challenges that I've found in writing this story. One reason I had the vortex diminish Thor's and Hulk's powers at the start was so the three Avengers got a better appreciation of the struggle faced by the Free Peoples. Even with their growing powers I think the Avengers shall find Sauron to be a much tougher nut to crack than Saruman.

**Lunatic Pandora 1**: Unfortunately this is the first time I've written a lengthy work of fiction in more than twenty years. I'll try not to rely too much on MS Word Spell & Grammar Check from now on.

**Dan man**: Notwithstanding my notes at the end of last chapter, I've 'saved' Boromir and Haldir only because the Avengers were in a position to help them.

* * *

**Chapter 24 – Smashing the White Hand**

Treebeard continued carrying his three guests as he took them southwards just as Pippin had requested earlier. Much to Treebeard's delight he finally told the three Fellowship members the story of the rabbits that dug a burrow under him. Having told this story, Treebeard felt he now had to tell them about all his encounters with Fangorn's small animals over the years. The Ent was currently expanding on his most experience in this regard as he exited Fangorn into a large clearing.

"…and those little family of field mice that climb up sometimes and they tickle me awfully. They're always trying to get somewhere where they – Oh!" Treebeard's storytelling came to an abrupt end at the sight before the four travellers.

Utter devastation. That was the term that immediately came to Banner at the large burned and cleared tract of Fangorn he was currently looking at. The scene reminded him of Brazil where he witnessed first-hand the damage caused to parts of the Amazon rainforest by poor 'slash and burn' clearing methods.

"Many of these trees were my friends." Treebeard remarked while feeling as devastated as the burnt remains of Fangorn. "Creatures I had known from nut and acorn. They had voices of their own…"

"I'm sorry Treebeard." Pippin apologised to him but not just as an expression of sympathy. Pippin had been unable to use a camera to show the Ent Moot the deforestation around Isengard. So he decided instead to trick Treebeard into a route where the Ent would see the barren fate that awaited Fangorn if Saruman was not stopped. He was pleased that by manipulation he had awoken Treebeard to the danger Fangorn faced. But the Took didn't like that manipulation made him feel awful at having broken Treebeard's heart as a result. Maybe evil people used manipulation as a regular tactic because of their complete lack of empathy towards others Pippin thought.

Banner now felt somewhat guilty about his previous criticisms about Treebeard. Treebeard was thousands of years older than Pippin. But in some aspects he shared Pippin's innocence (until recently) about the nature of evil. Perhaps being isolated for millennia meant the Ents had trouble believing that anyone would consciously choose to commit evil with the exception of Orcs.

Treebeard's gaze turned south-west towards the Orthanc. The Ent and his three companions had an excellent view of it from the barren crest they were standing on. They all saw within the bounds of Orthanc's ringed wall the industrial structures on its surface as well as smoke rising from the caverns beneath it. Treebeard's focus was on the Tower of Orthanc.

"Saruman!" Treebeard's gasped when realised the Tower's principal resident was the chief villain in this piece. Pippin, Merry and Banner felt Treebeard shake under them as his grief turned to rage. "A wizard should know better!" the Ent proclaimed.

Treebeard released a ferocious roar that his three passengers winced at. Treebeard's roar echoed throughout the length and breadth of Fangorn.

After his roar had finished, Treebeard crossly observed "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish or the tongues of Men for this treachery".

The three Fellowship members looked over their left shoulders at hearing the sounds of strange creaks and savage grunts. In the distance a large section of Fangorn seemed to be moving southwards at rapid pace!

A surprised Pippin exclaimed "Look! The Trees! They're moving!"

"I think they're heading in the direction of Rohan." Banner observed.

"Hroom yes Master Bruce." Treebeard strongly confirmed. "They have business with the Orcs there. My business is with Isengard tonight. With rock and stone!"

The Ent's angry roar a moment ago reminded Banner of someone else. Speaking of which, the same cry seemed to have struck a chord with the Other Guy. All Hulk was waiting on was Banner's invitation to appear. Banner's eyes widened!

_Wait a minute…_

Ever since Banner had fallen through the vortex, he hadn't been able to bring Hulk forth like he had before. Hulk's two-and-a-bit appearances in Middle-earth had largely been unplanned even though they had helped save the lives of the Fellowship. But now Hulk seemed to be ready to aid Banner when he needed him. His theory about the vortex's effects being temporary looked to be correct! _This means that Thor has to be regaining powers as well…_

The rush of thoughts Banner was having halted when he remembered Galadriel's words to him prior to the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien. Specifically, that he and the Other Guy would 'find harmony' before long. He had previously observed that Galadriel was not just a powerful telepath but a wise one as well. By 'wise' he initially meant Galadriel knew not to read his mind too deep least she trigger Hulk by accident. But she still read enough to know that Hulk was a part of his very being.

The fading effect of the vortex was of course the major reason that Banner's usual 'relationship' with Hulk had been restored. The rest in Fangorn and the removal of the sedative from his system probably helped also. But he couldn't help but feel his telling of Hulk's history to Merry and Pippin played a part as well. Banner feared that, because of Hulk's original outburst at Frodo, he would always have to prove to the original Fellowship members that he wasn't a threat to them. But Merry and Pippin, the least experienced members of the original Fellowship, had shown understanding to him in regards to Hulk. Banner could release the Other Guy without worrying if the friends he had made since coming to Middle-earth would treat him as an outcast afterwards. The only thing that wasn't clear in Banner's mind was how much pre-vortex strength Hulk had at his disposal.

_Well let's both find out_ he thought to Hulk.

Banner turned his head right and spoke with a dark gleam in his eye to Treebeard "You know Treebeard, there's something else Saruman should've known better about!"

Treebeard, Merry and Pippin watched Banner jump down from the Ent's left shoulder and land on the ground without even the slightest wobble. Banner didn't even bother to take off his Galdhrim shirt and cloak. Both items of clothing ripped apart and fell to the ground as Hulk rapidly took shape. Unlike Banner's braise these items of elven clothing weren't originally crafted to withstand an individual becoming, in Tony Stark's words, 'an enormous green rage monster'. Hulk released a cry of anger as loud as Treebeard's after he had fully emerged. Hulk's cry was directed at the Orthanc though. It was a warning to Saruman that he was about to join the list of individuals who tried to capture and control Hulk and ultimately ended up failing.

"By all the leaves of Fangorn!" an astonished Treebeard remarked at the sight of Hulk. It had been an age since he had seen any creature (besides an Ent) that was as tall as his shoulder!

"It's alright Treebeard." Pippin assured him. "Hulk's a friend of ours." To which Hulk gave Pippin his version of an appreciative grin.

Treebeard pondered Pippin's words for a moment before calmly saying, "Well that is something I do understand. The three of you have something in common. Like you shirelings Master Hulk is somewhat small."

Hulk gave Treebeard a slight snarl at being called 'small'. Treebeard paid it no mind as the snarl was drowned out by the rumblings coming from the forest behind him.

Dozens of Ents came forward having all heard Treebeard's call to arms. None of them gave Hulk a second look as Treebeard, who they all trusted, seemed to accept his presence.

"Yes!" Merry quietly exclaimed as he realised the strength of the force that was about to be unleashed on Isengard.

Hulk could have reached the Orthanc in quick time by running or leaping. But being part of The Avengers made Hulk realise that some battles were best fought as part of team. The conscious part of Banner commended Hulk's decision to show solidarity with the Ents.

Treebeard started to lead the Ents and Hulk towards their objective by saying "Hoorarooom. Come my friends. The Ents are going to war. It is likely that we go to our doom."

"_Fat chance!" _Hulk grumbled in reply.

Possibly the strangest fighting force in the history of Middle-earth - consisting of two hobbits, a Hulk and about seventy Ents - began a relentless and determined march in the direction of the Orthanc.

* * *

The first traces of sunlight began to illuminate the battlefield around Helm's Deep. The light came over a steep hill just to the east of the fortress. Dawn was about to break over Rohan.

The Battle for Helm's Deep had reached something of a stalemate. The two Avengers continued to hold the Causeway while the Uruk-hai launched attacks at them. With the exception of the Fellowship members inside the Hornburg, the defenders were amazed that Rogers and Thor showed no signs of tiring. This was despite the pair defending the Causeway largely by themselves for the last two hours! Their endurance was almost the equal of any other powers they had displayed over course of the battle.

Speaking of which, ever since destroying the ballistae none of Thor's returning powers had again been available for him to use. Thor still sensed their energies within Mjolnir but wondered why none of them had 'recharged' for use. The Asgardian hoped this extended period of recharging meant those powers would be at their greatest strength when he was next able to use them.

For a while the Uruk Commander changed his method of attacking Rogers and Thor. The line of Uruk corpses that led up to the Avengers showed they couldn't be defeated by massed charges (or massed suicide from another perspective). Instead the Commander launched attacks in the forms of sorties that briefly attacked the Avengers before feigning retreat. The Commander thought that maybe the Avengers would be tempted and pursue the retreating Uruks. If the pair could be drawn away from the Causeway the Uruk-hai would have an unhindered path to the Main Gate. But Rogers and Thor were too knowledgable and experienced in military matters to fall for that well-known tactic. With this failing, the Commander ordered the pair be peppered with crossbow bolts like the rest of the defenders. The Commander knew from this battle that the bolts would not particularly trouble the Avengers. So long as the bolts distracted them long enough for the Uruk-hai to deploy the weapons he had earlier asked a pair of warg-riders to fetch.

Theoden had returned to position in the command turret. The efforts of the Avengers had given his men the time to tend to the wound he sustained during the defence of the Main Gate. His superb armour meant his right shoulder sustained no more than a shallow cut and the resulting bruise from the Uruk spear that was thrust into it. Theoden was very pleased that still no enemy of Rohan had ever set foot inside the Hornburg. He shuddered to think how far the Uruk-hai would have penetrated into Helm's Deep if they hadn't been stopped countless times by the impossible feats the Avengers had made in its defence. And yet Theoden still couldn't help but have a gnawing feeling in his stomach.

The King went over in his mind the key parts of this battle. Although not as spectacular as the Avengers many others had played a key role in the defence of Helm's Deep as well. Aragorn and Haldir had commanded the defence along the Deeping Wall and successfully drove off many Uruk assaults against it. Boromir confirmed his reputation as a brilliant leader of men by rallying the Rohirrim along the Outer Wall and Gatehouse on countless occasions.

But Theoden's own direct combat in this battle had been brief. The result from this combat was the King sustaining a light wound that took him briefly from the field. Theoden thought his overall contribution in this battle, both as a warrior and a commander, bordered on the irrelevant. Gamling interrupted his brooding.

"Do you believe that Mithrandir will bring the Third Marshal and his men at this hour like we were told milord?" Gamling quietly asked him.

"I hope so my friend." Theoden answered with a sigh. "Despite all that I've witnessed of them this past night, I still don't want to chance fate that Captain Rogers and Prince Thor can hold the Causeway against such reckless hate indefinitely."

Rohan's history recorded the king that Helm's Deep was named after had a grim nature, great strength and unmatched prowess in combat. Theoden thought Thor had these qualities in abundance as well. It had been claimed that Helm was given a mithril war hammer from the Dwarves but there were no records of him using it in combat. When history wrote about this battle it would leave no doubt that Thor fought with a war hammer. But readers would probably think they were reading legend when history recorded Thor's war hammer could summon thunder and lightning, fly like an arrow and return to his hand at a thought. So much so that Thor might become more associated with the title 'Hammerhand' than King Helm currently was!

Theoden's ponderings on Helm gave him an idea. There was one thing that he only could order the defenders to carry out.

At the peak of the Hornburg was a mouthpiece that connected to a pair of 100-foot brass alphorns than ran down its side. The pair of alphorns was known as the 'Horn of Helm Hammerhand'. Such a powerful brass instrument had many uses including calling for aid and to strike fear into the hearts of besiegers. Theoden thought the opportunity had arisen where the Horn could be used for both purposes at once.

"Gamling, I want one of the Rohirrim to blow the Horn of Helm Hammerhand!" he firmly ordered his trusted lieutenant. "Let Lord Eomer and his men know their King awaits their arrival!" Theoden then quietly added "And so that I may hear it sound in the Deep for at least one last time…"

At this, Gamling signalled to a Royal Guard that he was needed.

* * *

Thor and Rogers faced east as they continued to deflect crossbow bolts shot at their position on the Causeway. Rogers was straight to Thor's left. The bolts did not present a major threat to either of them even by the number shot in their direction. But nor were the Avengers complacent about them. Their eyes were solely on the bolts even when they spoke to each other.

Rogers felt honoured by the number of defending archers who continued to risk their lives while providing fire support in aid of him and Thor. None of them (even Legolas and the Galadhrim with their elven reflexes) possessed the Avengers quickness to intercept or evade a crossbow bolt heading straight for them. But even when one or more of them were killed or injured by a bolt - not one of the tired archers waived in their duty. The archers reminded Rogers of the members of the NYPD and National Guard that bravely tried to aid The Avengers in the battle against the Chitauri.

To lighten their mutual angst waiting for Gandalf's promised arrival, Thor dryly remarked to Rogers "If these Uruks don't soon launch another sortie against us, I fear I may die of boredom before I am killed by crossbow."

Rogers was about to respond with a retort of his own but was interrupted by a loud noise that reminded him of whistle from a ship funnel. Despite being startled by the noise Rogers' discipline kept his eyes on incoming the missile fire.

"At least I know that sound is not from any horn from Gondor or Lothlorien" a confused Thor commented.

At Thor's mention of the word 'horn' Rogers now remembered what he saw when first inspecting the Hornburg.

"Sorry Thor, but I forgot to tell you Helm's Deep has a pair of big brass horns" Rogers apologised to his fellow Avenger as though he forgot to bring back a carton of milk from the local grocery store. He couldn't help but laugh at Thor's witty reply.

"The horns complement well the defenders of Helm's Deep. Each of them has shown they possess a pair of big brass b–. Well, it's beneath a Prince of Asgard to use a Midgard vulgarity to salute such fortitude!"

The Uruk Commander had no such reticence about publicly cursing and swearing, particularly towards his subordinates. Right now he was berating the pair of warg-riders he sent off two hours earlier for having just returned. They were spared a great deal of his wrath because they had returned with the weapons that the Commander asked them to collect from the depot.

The explosive mines were not the only weapons that Saruman had created under the Fire of Isengard 'program'. Through experimentation Saruman had developed a type of oil that he simply called 'fire-oil'. After being lit, fire-oil's chemical reaction would start after about half a minute. Once ignited, fire-oil would burn at much greater intensity than regular oil. Skin, wood or stone ignited by fire-oil would be engulfed in terrible flames that could not be put out by water. The fire-oil the warg-riders brought from the depot was carried in eight hollow spherical cases made of crude thin-cast iron about seven inches in width. The fire-oil these cases contained could be lit through an unstoppered hole. Saruman had been producing more fire-oil while the Uruk-hai had been attacking Helm's Deep.

The Uruk Commander had planned to use the fire-oil when the army he led assaulted Edoras. Fire-oil would instantly burn its wooden structures and roast any anyone inside them. Now fire-oil had become the Commander's last throw of the dice against the two defenders that had given the Uruk-hai so much grief during the course of this battle.

Despite the destruction of their ballistae, the Uruk-hai still had parts and equipment to build two more. The orc sappers had been focused on no other task for the past two hours. They took seriously the Uruk Commander's threat that they would suffer worse deaths at his hands than by lightning if the pair of new ballistae were not finished by the time the warg-riders returned. The Commander covered the ballistae construction from the Avengers by a screen of Uruk pikemen. But with daybreak fast approaching that screen would be useless as all the defenders of Helm's Deep would then have a clear view of the battlefield. And then the Man with the flying hammer would destroy the ballistae just like he had the others.

They didn't know it, but the defenders had scored a great success against the Uruk Commander. The Commander could no longer be blase about Uruk-hai losses as they had taken more than forty per cent casualties. Even if Helm's Deep fell, the Uruk-hai still needed to conquer Rohan and the surrounding territories that Saruman had commanded them to.

The two Avengers were puzzled when the crossbow bolts fired at them gradually came to a stop. Rogers and Thor were at a loss to understand why the Uruk marksmen that had been targeting the pair were now stepping back from them in an orderly manner. Thor first sensed the new danger the Avengers faced by a moderate easterly breeze.

"Do you smell the odour that is like oil?" Thor asked Rogers.

Rogers gave a deep sniff and found the smell Thor was referring to. To Rogers the odour smelt more like gasoline than oil. He was sure he smelt something like this odour before during the War. In fact it smelt like…

"Napalm!" he hissed in alarm to Thor. Seeing the confused look on Thor's face at the word, Rogers drew on his encyclopedic knowledge of military history to clarify it for him, "Greek-fire!" Thor's eyes widened, now understanding why Rogers was alarmed at the odour they both smelt.

Against his better judgment, Rogers had seen the movie _Apocalypse Now_ on Stark's recommendation ('You'll like it! It's similar to the black & white patriotic numbers you used to star in. It's set during a war the US got involved in when you doing time as a Capsicle.'). Unlike the character in the movie with the strange name of 'Kilgore', Rogers didn't like the smell of napalm in the morning or any other time. Rogers had all too often seen its horrible effects against soldiers and civilians during the War he fought in.

The Uruk Commander ordered the screen of pikemen to peel away from the ballistae revealing one pointed at the Avengers and another pointed at the Gatehouse. If all went to plan both targets would soon be in flames.

"Both of us can still hold against such a weapon." Thor argued to his fellow Avenger.

Rogers jerked his head in the direction of the other defenders before countering rhetorically "Do you think they can?"

"Then we have no choice but to accept the Orc's earlier invitation to attack them hand-to-hand!" Thor ruefully concluded.

Before Rogers could answer his agreement, a horse's whinny was heard across the battlefield. All participants in the battle stopped to look at the source of the noise that was located at the top of the steep hill east of Helm's Deep.

It was Gandalf mounted on Shadowfax! After a few moments another mounted rider appeared to Gandalf's right.

"Lord Eomer I presume!" Rogers observed in jest to Thor and himself.

The cheers from the Rohirrim defending the fortress indicated to Rogers that he was correct in his assumption about the identity of the rider beside Gandalf. The appearance of Eomer and his men meant Helm's Deep would soon be relieved!

The Uruk Commander sharply ordered Uruk pikemen to take position at the Uruk-hai's left flank. If the riders on the hill wanted to charge at the Uruk-hai they would first have to avoid being impaled on at least two ranks of sharp, eighteen-foot long pikes. The Commander angrily barked his sappers out of their reverie by ordering them to commence lighting the cases of fire-oil. If he was going to be killed, the Commander wanted before at least the satisfaction of seeing the two Avengers being burned alive.

Thor's joy at the sight of Gandalf increased when he felt he could use one of his powers again. For the second time during the course of this battle, Rogers asked him a question with mock innocence.

"Did you ever doubt Gandalf would get here with Eomer's men by the time he promised us?"

Thor replied with a grin and a wink "Not for a moment my friend!"

Thor then returned his gazed to Gandalf who effortlessly stayed mounted as Shadowfax reared in the air. Gandalf's current appearance on Shadowfax reminded Thor of the time Odin travelled over the Bifrost on Sleipnir to rescue him, Loki and their friends from their ill-fated visit to Jotunheim. This time Thor was more than confident that the All-Father would have no objections to the words he was about to shout.

"_GANDALF!"_ Thor's voice echoed throughout the valley. "_WE'LL FINISH THEM TOGETHER!__!"_

At Thor's cry, Gandalf and Eomer lead the two thousand mounted Rohirrim into a headlong charge at the Uruk-hai. Their steeds rapidly closed the distance between them and the Uruk-hai given the steep hill they were moving down. Gandalf demonstrated how much more powerful he was since becoming the White Wizard by the spell he cast against the Uruks facing him. The spell was a more potent version of the one he used against the orcs the Fellowship had rescued the Avengers from in Eregion. Through his staff he channelled the light from the sun as it rose over the hill the Rohirrim charged down. Like the orcs in Eregion, the mass of affected Uruks turned away or dropped their weapons in reaction to the blinding light before them.

When Thor called out to Gandalf his words were spoken literally. At the same time Gandalf cast his spell, Thor used the power that had just returned to him. Thor pointed Mjolnir skywards at an angle seconds before the Uruk-hai shot their fire-oil. Thor commanded the most powerful lightning bolt he had been able to summon since coming to Middle-earth to strike at the Uruk-hai ballistae. Those Uruks that the bolt instantly vaporised at least had a quick death. The energy from the lightning resulted in the eight cases of fire-oil violently exploding. Any Uruk within range of the explosion, including the Commander, was saturated by the ignited fire-oil. The affected Uruks screamed in agony as intense red flames burned through their armour and roasted their skin.

As Gandalf and Eomer's men smashed into its left flank unimpeded by pikes, the cohesion of the Isengardian army snapped. It had been unnerving for its members to face a man who could call on thunder and lightning against them. But now having to also battle a Wizard who seemed able to blind them with sunlight was too much for the Uruk-hai even with their numbers. They routed northwards in fear of the pair that could turn the very forces of nature against them.

As the Uruk-hai fled from the battlefield, Thor and Rogers looked behind them up at the Gatehouse. A number of defenders behind its parapets looked at them in awe including the Fellowship members the two Avengers fought this battle with.

Trying to keep a straight face, Rogers advised the defenders atop Gatehouse "Thor and I are launching a counterattack at the Uruk-hai! Does anyone care to join us?!"

With typical bombastic aplomb Gimli told Thor in response "I'll catch up to your tally yet Odinson!" before sprinting down towards the Main Gate. With a loud cheer nearly all the defenders made to follow the Dwarf's lead. One exception was Theoden who simply closed his eyes and released a deep sigh of relief that the ordeal was over. His eyes opened after he felt a supportive hand on his right shoulder from Gamling who gave the King a reassuring grin.

Thor and Rogers sprinted down the Causeway as a blur before easily catching up to the fleeing Uruk-hai and tearing into them. They created a path of death between the Uruk-hai that separated the pair from Gandalf, Eomer and the fresh Rohirrim reinforcements. As Thor continued to send Uruks flying with Mjolnir something in near distance to the north caught his eye.

"Rogers, do you recall a forest being at the head of this valley before?" he confusedly asked his fellow Avenger.

An equally baffled Rogers shook his head and confirmed "Eowyn, the refugees and I came through that way yesterday." After a moment Rogers then commented "Is it just me Thor or that forest reminds you of Fangorn as well?"

Rogers was correct with the comparison. The 'forest' was actually the part of Fangorn that Treebeard had commanded to head towards Helm's Deep. Eomer raced across the Rohirrim pursuing the Uruk-hai. The Third Marshal was startled to see Thor and Rogers among their front ranks. What kind of men had the speed to catch up with the fastest of horses? Eomer quickly put this mystery to one side as he ordered the pursuers to halt on Gandalf's advice.

"Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!" Eomer commanded the pursuers.

The Uruk-hai ran into a force of nature far more vindictive than any Gandalf or Thor had used against them. As soon as the last one of them entered into the forest the slaughter began. The two Avengers watched amazed with the Rohirrim as the forest swayed and groaned as it killed the Uruk-hai within it. The forest stilled after the last Uruk death scream was silenced. In the space of moments the survivors of the Isengardian army sent to attack Helm's Deep had all been wiped out.

Thor dryly remarked to Rogers "Steve, apologies for my remarks to you in Fangorn. It would appear I need to broaden my understanding of trees as well!"

* * *

The Ents continued to methodically destroy the forces and structures of Isengard located within the Orthanc. As they had approached the Orthanc, the attackers split into three groups.

One group was made up of several dozen Ents who made a hole in the north-eastern side of the Orthanc's ringed wall after throwing a volley of large boulders at it. After storming through the breach, these Ents showed no mercy to any headframe, furnace, platform or orc on the surface. They destroyed buildings by ripping them apart with their branched hands or by throwing rocks at them from the rubble of the breach. Most of these Ents simply stepped on the orc labourers and Uruk-hai that tried to oppose them. Some Ents used the wooden scaffolding they broke as clubs to scatter the orcs instead.

The second group was comprised of only about half a dozen Ents. Treebeard had ordered this group towards the slopes of the Misty Mountains that ended just to the north east of Isengard. Their target was the dam that Saruman had constructed to hold back the River Isen from its source in the Misty Mountains.

The last group of attackers was led by Treebeard and consisted of ten other Ents plus the three Fellowship members. Their objective was the Orthanc Gatehouse. Treebeard wanted to cut off any means of escape for Saruman and his orcs. The orcs defending Orthanc were not caught completely unawares by the Ents' attack. They had closed and barred the Gatehouse's pair of large iron gates to keep out the invaders.

Facing the Gatehouse from the south, Treebeard sounded like a military commander as he ordered the group of attackers with him "Let the Gatehouse be smashed by rock and stone!"

The Ents accompanying Treebeard didn't even have time to carry out his order. Hulk began sprinting at the Gatehouse before launching himself towards it as soon as Treebeard had spoken. Hulk brought his fists downward on follow through as he landed atop the Gatehouse. The unfathomable power in Hulk's blow caused the whole Gatehouse to crumble beneath his feet burying alive any orcs who had been stationed in it.

"_HULK SMASH!"_

Hulk's infamous cry echoed within the confines of the Orthanc. If the Ents had sent the Orcs into panic, then Hulk's arrival drove them into blind terror. Hulk began destroying Isengard's forces and structures much more quickly than the Ents that had first breached the Orthanc's perimeter. Due to the diminishing effects of the vortex, Hulk now possessed much greater strength than all the other attackers combined. It was strength he brutally demonstrated to a company of Uruk marksmen that had the temerity to attack him. After their bolts harmlessly deflected off him, Hulk leapt into the archers' midst. The impact of Hulk's landing flattened and scattered them far more than his leap against the orcs at the Eaves of Fangorn.

As Treebeard led the Ents through the remains of the Gatehouse he quietly remarked to Merry and Pippin "Hroom now you know why to take things less hasty young hobbits. Least you become like Master Bruce when he gets angry."

Merry and Pippin exchanged a knowing smile that Hulk's nature was one thing they knew about more than Treebeard who, by his remarks, was a touching innocent.

Saruman watched the proceedings below him in utter dismay from the Tower balcony with his staff in hand. Saruman may have been one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth but not even he could hold back the attack that been launched against the Orthanc. He planned to harness Fangorn and Hulk to fuel his plans for Middle-earth (literally with the former and metaphorically with the latter). But those same forces were now destroying those plans before his very eyes.

Hulk pulled off a spiked wheel off a headframe before throwing it at a group of orc archers shooting fire arrows at an Ent. Those archers the wheel did not scatter were killed when impaled by its spikes. Hulk then looked towards the Tower balcony and he and Saruman locked eyes despite the distance between them. Through the memories of Banner, Hulk recalled the Fellowship's descriptions of Saruman as the traitor White Wizard they had sought to avoid prior to Amon Hen. Hulk gave an angry snarl at the former Istari who had sought to capture and enslave him. He then heard the inner voice of Banner.

_Go for it!_

With Banner's approval of his choice of action, Hulk charged towards the Tower before leaping up at the balcony Saruman stood on. While Saruman was unable to defeat the attack on the Orthanc, with his staff he was still able to defend attacks made against his person. Even if those attacks came from Hulk. Saruman pointed his staff at Hulk just before the Avenger landed on the balcony. Saruman released a powerful blast of invisible energy that knocked Hulk backwards. Hulk fell straight down before landing on his back on the stairs that led into the Tower. The stairs shuddered from the impact of Hulk's landing.

While Hulk was falling Saruman moved just behind the doorway that led onto the balcony. It would have been galling to Saruman's pride if he knew he was following in the footsteps of Gandalf the Grey with the spell he chose to make a gap between himself and an indestructible monster. Holding his staff in both hands, Saruman firmly struck the balcony with the end of his staff through the doorway. In a repeat of Gandalf's spell along the Bridge of Khazad-dum, the Tower balcony crumbled and its remains fell straight down towards Hulk who was still lying on his back.

Hulk reflexively put his right arm to deflect the broken bits of obsidian rock that fell on him. After the last bit fell on him, Hulk got to his feet and hurled a large piece of the balcony's remains at Saruman. The former White Wizard had to jump back to avoid the piece hitting him as it struck the doorway that was now little more than a hole on the Tower's south. Hulk planned to jump at the hole but he noticed the Tower's closed pair of iron doors in front of him. Hulk decided to break them down with the remains of the balcony instead.

Saruman had anticipated Hulk trying to do this. Chanting in Sindarin, he exerted what strength he had left by casting a spell around all the doors, windows and other points which the interior of Tower could be accessed from the outside. It was a version of the spell that Gandalf the White used to deflect Thor's mistaken attack against him in Fangorn.

An enraged Hulk decided on a new line of attack after seeing the balcony remains he threw at the Tower doors fail to penetrate Saruman's magical barrier around them. After crouching his knees to build up power, Hulk leapt to the top of the Tower also known as the 'Pinnacle of Orthanc'. He began an attempt to break through the Tower by pounding away with his fists on the Pinnacle. Banner had speculated if there was still any residual impact from the vortex on Hulk's strength. This speculation was answered in the affirmative as Hulk struggled to make even a crack on the Pinnacle floor as it was made of the same indestructible obsidian rock as the rest of the Tower.

Hulk's attack on the Pinnacle echoed throughout the insides of the Tower. Saruman moved away from the broken balcony towards his throne room that directly led from it. He wanted to be alone to think his next move. But he was denied this opportunity when a terrified Grima burst into the room.

"Milord!" Grima exclaimed horrified by the sights and sounds he had witnessed from a Tower window. "What in the name of the Valar is that green beast?!"

Saruman was enraged at Grima for mentioning the beings that had sent the Istari to Middle-earth. The reason being was that a small part of Saruman now regretted having betrayed the original task the Valar had entrusted in him. Saruman would've very much liked to incinerate Grima with a jet of flame. But because he was still tired from his exertions against Hulk, Saruman currently didn't have the strength to channel any spell through his staff. So he simply used his left hand to powerfully grip Grima's throat.

"_Never mention that name in my presence again!_" he screamed at Grima before roughly shoving him to the ground. Saruman composed himself as he watched with satisfaction Grima spluttering on his back. He gave Grima a dire warning "Should you do so worm I'll cast you out of my Tower. Then you'll find out for yourself the green beast's true nature!"

As air came back into his lungs Grima wheezed an apology "I'll not…say that…name again…milord!"

Saruman flatly advised "I'm the only being left in Middle-earth who still tolerates your pathetic form. It would be wise of you not to forget it!"

Meanwhile Treebeard had noticed the group of Ents he sent to attack the dam were now in position to do so.

"_Break the dam!_" Treebeard's voice thundered up the slopes to the said Ents. "_Release the river!_"

At Treebeard's command the Ents at the dam pulled away its supports and the River Isen rapidly burst through the dam wall that had been holding it back.

Hulk's frustration at only inflicting a tiny amount damage to Pinnacle's floor didn't so much as boilover but surge out in a manner similar to the oncoming flood of water rushing towards the Orthanc. He gripped one of the Pinnacle's horns and with great strain pulled out a large chuck of it. Hulk then threw this chunk towards the part of the ringed wall directly in the path of the oncoming water. The chunk flew faster and more powerfully than if it had been launched from any siege engine found in Middle-earth. It broke through the ringed wall easily creating a massive breach for the oncoming water to pour through.

Still resting on Treebeard's shoulders Merry hurriedly told Pippin "Right now Pip I wish we could leap as high as Hulk can!"

Like his fellow Ents, Treebeard dug his feet into the ground like deep roots before hurriedly ordering his passengers "Hold on, little hobbits!"

From his current position Hulk had the perfect view of the damage caused by the oncoming water as it rapidly spread throughout the Orthanc. The Ents stood firm as the water broke around them at waist level (the Ent that Hulk had previously rescued welcomed the opportunity to douse the flames that still smouldered on him). But the force of the water smashed any whole or part structures that remained on the surface. The water also flooded the caverns dug within the Orthanc, drowning any orcs that had sought refuge there from Hulk and the Ents. Satisfied at the sight below him, Hulk released a mighty roar of triumph.

Hulk's roar could be heard throughout the whole of Nan Curunir. It was a confirmation to all Middle-earth that Isengard's formidable military machine had been permanently smashed and washed away.

* * *

**I suspect some readers had been hoping Saruman would be at the receiving end of the same treatment that Hulk gave Loki. At the risk of receiving a flaming in the reviews for this chapter, it's important to remember that Saruman is still one of the Maiar (albeit a corrupted one like Sauron). To my mind, Saruman with his staff would still be able to hold his own against a Hulk still feeling some effects of the vortex. Especially if the pair of them fought within the bounds of the Orthanc.**

**Stark's sarcasm towards **_**Apocalypse Now **_**is all it's aimed at. It is not aimed at the all too many servicepersons and civilians (on all sides) who did and continue to suffer from that terrible conflict.**


	25. The Aftermath of Battle

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

14/04/2013

**CGKrows**: You've succinctly described some of the key questions I keep asking myself in order to make this story work. I recall that Cap was sworn in as US President a few months ago in the _Ultimates_ line but I agree with you about his modesty to be a king. I'm very much looking forward to writing the confrontation with Saruman.

**Avengerscrazygirl**: My social studies classes were a lot more boring than yours seem to be ;)

**PleiadesWolfe**: I still have a long way to go in finalising the details of the battles fought in _The Return of the King_ for this story. But I do intend on making them as epic as I possibly can.

* * *

**Chapter 25 – The Aftermath of Battle**

With the Uruk-hai destroyed, the survivors from the Battle of Helm's Deep went about assessing the damage to the fortress and seeing to their wounded and the dead. While Eomer's reinforcements made the task of handling the thousands of corpses scattered across the battlefield easier it did not make the task any less heartbreaking.

Only 117 of the original Rohirrim defenders at Helm's Deep had survived this battle. And more than half of these survivors had sustained injuries that needed treatment.

Theoden had not allowed the women and children hiding within the Glittering Caves to be let back out yet. The King wanted to first clear the Hornburg of all Uruk bodies. The families of the dead Rohirrim would soon have to identify and mourn their remains where they lay. The bereaved shouldn't also have to contend with the sight of an ugly sea of orc corpses.

The corpses of the defenders – both Rohirrim and Galadhrim – were to be buried in a mass pit currently being dug in the dead ground behind the Deeping Wall. The corpses of the Uruk-hai were to be piled and burned in the valley outside the walls of Helm's Deep. The Rohirrim didn't mind removing the countless Uruk corpses located within the bounds of the fortress to these piles. The ground within Helm's Deep was sacred as far as the surviving defenders were concerned. Their fallen comrades' final resting-place would be desecrated if orc remains were disposed of within the fortress.

Rogers was currently walking along the ramp that connected the Inner Wall with the top of the Gatehouse. Rogers had finally taken his mask off for the first time in hours. He was walking towards the spot on the Gatehouse where he left his Howling Commandos before aiding the Rohirrim in driving back the attack on the Main Gate. Fortunately no other Howling Commandos had fallen since he ordered them to collect unused arrows for the defenders to use. Rogers marvelled that these half dozen boys, despite everything they had been through, wanted to help him bury their fallen brothers, cousins and friends that were part of their unit. Rogers told them to wait in the armoury until he came for them, as he first wanted a few moments alone with the fallen Commandos.

Rogers was quickly able to find all the bodies of the fallen Commandos. They had all fallen in roughly the same location within a few yards of each other. Looking at some of their wounds, Rogers guessed the vast majority fell at the hands of the Uruk-hai that managed to storm the Outer Wall. He looked at Haleth's body and crouched down to cover his still open eyes. Rogers remained crouching as he reflected on all the young boys that had been conscripted to the defence. The majority of them had shared the fate of the dead Commandos.

Rogers had recalled a quote of the Duke of Wellington's prior to this battle starting. At this battle's end another quote of the 'Iron Duke' seemed appropriate – _Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won_.

Rogers knew that Theoden wasn't a bad man by any means. The King faced a dire situation in defending Helm's Deep from some ten thousand genocidal Uruk-hai. Given the way Theoden broke down at Theodred's burial mound, it must have been immensely difficult for him to order something that would certainly lead to many other Rohirrim children becoming casualties of war.

But Rogers still thought there were some lines that should never be crossed no matter the situation. Nations that valued the lives of the most vulnerable of their people would never use child soldiers. This compared to tyrants who were willing to treat anyone as expendable in their pursuit of power. Rogers was appalled that many governments and warlords of twenty-first century Earth had no qualms following the Nazi's example of using children as cannon fodder.

"Steve?"

Rogers' ruminations were interrupted from behind by a concerned Boromir's question. Rogers stood up and looked at his friend who was just a yard behind him.

"I'm not blaming myself if that's what you're worried about Boromir." Rogers replied.

"Then what were you thinking about if don't mind me asking?"

Rogers let out a tired sigh before explaining his thoughts.

"Look, both of us come from worlds apart but we both volunteered to be soldiers in our respective one. In volunteering to be career military we both know the score – sorry, I mean we understand the risks that come with the job.

"Both of us know that death can come from enemy attack, the elements, by an incompetent superior's orders or just plain dumb luck. You can't claim to be a professional soldier if you don't acknowledge and accept that risk."

Rogers then turned and looked at the dead Commandos while he continued.

"But did these boys understand that risk or what it entails? Even right up to the moment the orcs killed them"? Rogers then released the burning anger inside him that had been building ever since he heard Theoden first order every 'strong lad' to be drafted into the defence.

"They were just kids dammit!" he angrily exclaimed to Boromir. "They didn't even have a choice! As a king and a father how could Th-". Rogers bit his lip before he denounced Rohan's King. He didn't want to disrespect the fallen Rohirrim men around him by criticising the King that many of them had been willing to die for.

Boromir was not surprised by Rogers' outburst. Having earlier been advised by him, Boromir knew Rogers was technically decades older than himself. But Rogers was still a young man at heart. Rogers' idealism often reminded Boromir of the idealism his younger brother Faramir possessed.

Boromir recalled telling Rogers about Faramir during one of the many conversations the pair had while the Fellowship rested in Lothlorien.

"_Faramir has always been the quiet and reflective one of the pair of us. Even when he was commissioned Captain of Gondor's Rangers_ – _that's our elite scouting force – he said to me_ '_War must be brother but I do not fight for a warrior's glory. I fight for our city and the descendants of the Men of Numenor who reside within it.'"_

"_A soldier, even a super-soldier, is only as strong as his ideals." Rogers argued. "I'd rather have fighting beside me one soldier like your brother than one hundred super-soldiers that see battle as a means to gratify the ego."_

"_I very much wish my father was here part of this conversation Steve. It would do him well to hear a great warrior like Captain America speak of Faramir in those terms."_

When the Fellowship eventually came to Minas Tirith, Boromir hoped that there would be the opportunity for him to introduce Faramir and Rogers to each other. He was confident his younger brother would quickly form as close a friendship with Captain America as he had.

Boromir began comforting Rogers who still had his back turned to him

"It is indeed a cruel and unfair world where underage boys are made to sacrifice their lives in defence of their country". After a pause he then added "But you're wrong Steve about those boys not understanding."

Rogers turned around and faced Boromir with a puzzled look on his face. Seeing he had Rogers' attention Boromir explained his remark.

"Everyone saw how those boys were before the battle started. They were lonely, confused and frightened by what they had been conscripted into.

"But after you spoke to them and made them your 'Commandos' they all rallied to you. They carried out your orders throughout the battle without hesitation - even when you weren't there. When the Uruk-hai were on the Outer Wall and the other defenders were dying all around them, I didn't see one of those boys turn and run even though none of us would've blamed them if they did."

Boromir then firmly squeezed Rogers' left shoulder to underline the sincerity of his concluding words.

"Those boys were willing to sacrifice their young lives during the battle because they understood Captain America wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself for each and every one of them!"

The two men embraced and Boromir allowed his good friend to weep upon his right shoulder.

* * *

Legolas and Thor were just outside the breach in the Deeping Wall. Thor had earlier taken off his helmet for the first time since donning it in the armoury.

They were farewelling the survivors of the Galadhrim company that had survived the Battle of Helm's Deep. Given the Galadhrim suffered the full brunt of the Uruk-hai assault on the Deeping Wall they had suffered a much higher level of casualties than the Rohirrim in the Hornburg. There were only eleven of them including Haldir who had his wounded arm in a sling.

The surviving Galadhrim were mounted on the horses of fallen Rohirrim. Theoden had given them these mounts to aid a swift return to Lothlorien. The Galadhrim had given the Rohirrim one of their company's two banners at Theoden's request. The banner would be carried with all the others that normally accompanied him when holding court away from Edoras. The Galadhrim banner was symbolic of Theoden's promise to Haldir that Rohan would never forget the sacrifice of the Elves at Helm's Deep. Theoden also vowed to improve the Horse-Lords' relationship with Lothlorien once the War of the Ring was over.

"I understand the reasons for your company's departure." Legolas told Haldir in the Common Tongue. "You have my word as a Prince of Mirkwood that I shall ensure our fallen kin are buried with the full honour they deserve."

"On behalf of all the Golden Wood we accept your offer with many thanks Prince Legolas." Haldir humbly replied.

Thor intervened after a moment had passed "The shadow of war now falls upon the Golden Wood also?"

Haldir nodded in reply welcoming the opportunity to change subjects somewhat "The White Hand may have been defeated but Sauron will soon wage all-out war against all who oppose him." Haldir then added on reflection "Our fallen kin would want us to return to Lothlorien with all haste to aid in its defence as well as all the lands of the Free Peoples in the North."

"When you return to Lothlorien perhaps you can please do me a favour?" Thor asked the Marchwarden.

"Prince Thor you saved my life!" Haldir exclaimed. "I'm yours ever to command!"

Thor gave a nod of appreciation before saying "Please tell Lady Galadriel that I still greatly prize the helm she gave me. But the opportunity to fight alongside her Marchwarden and chosen warriors in this battle was a far greater gift to me."

After giving a proud smile in response to Thor's compliment about himself and his company, Haldir answered "Prince Thor, I shall pass on your message to the Lady. I will tell her the ways in which you honoured both her 'gifts' to you. And when she hears about those ways, I daresay there's even the tinniest risk that the Lady Galadriel will be surprised for the first time in centuries!"

Legolas and the Galadhrim gave each other a solemn sounding farewell in Sindarin before the latter commenced their journey back home. After this, Legolas and Thor walked over the Uruk corpses that littered the path to the breach in Deeping Wall. After they had passed through the breach they walked up to Gimli who was a few yards south-east of it.

The Dwarf sat on an Uruk corpse whose skull still had his two-handed axe buried in. He was contentedly smoking on his pipe looking very satisfied with himself. Both Legolas and Thor stood to Gimli's left with the Elf closest to the Dwarf.

Thor stated as seriously as he could "Now, the three of us have a serious matter to settle!"

Gimli's eyes narrowed before he withdrew his pipe from his mouth.

"Before you get too excited Odinson," Gimli sternly intoned "Legolas and I had a good chat while you were showing off on the Causeway."

"I graciously accept your thanks Gimli that my actions there allowed you and Legolas to have a break during the battle!" Thor ribbed in response.

"That's not what I meant laddie!" Gimli growled with a wryly raised eyebrow. "Legolas and I can't summon the elements through our weapons to dispose of our enemies like you can. On that basis you're only allowed to count the orcs you directly struck with your hammer for our competition!"

"That wasn't an agreed condition before we started it tonight!" Thor replied in mock indignation.

"It would've been if the 'God of Thunder' told us he was referring to himself before the battle started!" Gimli countered through clenched teeth.

Legolas advised Thor with a smug smile "You forget Thor that we are all equals in our Fellowship and all our opinions carry the same weight. In a group of three Fellowship members if two of them are in agreement, it settles any dispute that group may have!"

Thor released an exaggerated sigh before relenting "Very well then. I would hate for the both of you to be completely embarrassed after we reveal our final totals!"

Despite their banter, there was no doubt among the three of them that Thor had 'won' the competition. The condition Gimli and Legolas had imposed on Thor was indeed in part to not have too large a gap between their tallies and his. There was also the matter of professional pride at stake between Legolas and Gimli over which of the two of them had the highest tally.

Legolas proudly pronounced "My final count…42."

"Forty-two?" Gimli condescendingly observed. "Oh, that's not bad for a pointy-eared elvish princeling." Gimli then said with a self-satisfied smile "I myself am sitting pretty on 43."

No sooner had Gimli advised his tally than Legolas rapidly drew an arrow and shot it at the legs of the Uruk corpse Gimli sat on.

"Forty three!" Legolas pleasingly added to his tally.

The trio's conversation suddenly took on a serious turn as a result of Legolas' action.

"He was already dead!" Gimli pointed out in reference to the dead Uruk.

"He was twitching!" Legolas insisted.

"My friends!" an exasperated Thor intervened. "Look around you. We are currently among the small minority of those who defended this fortress that are still alive and unharmed! To have serious arguments about our competition should be beneath the three of us. We should be grateful to have just walked away from this battle with our lives as many of our comrades didn't!"

Legolas and Gimli were chastened by Thor's argument. Gimli released a sad sigh and quietly conceded before he put his pipe in his mouth again "Aye that's true…"

The three of them noticed that Gandalf, who had unmounted from Shadowfax, was walking towards them. Before the White Wizard reached the trio, Thor spoke to his two friends with a twinkle in his eye.

"For the record, based on the terms and conditions you've imposed on me, my final count was 592!" the Avenger informed with a mischievous grin and wink.

Legolas' jaw dropped and Gimli began violently choking on the pipe-weed smoke he had inhaled just before Thor revealed his final tally.

"That's a nasty sounding cough you have Gimli!" a curious Gandalf observed as he stood opposite the three Fellowship members in front of him.

"The three of us were merely reflecting on our fortunes in this battle Gandalf!" Thor smugly advised. As Gimli's cough began to splutter out, Thor took a step towards Gandalf and put a hand on the Wizard's left shoulder before seriously intoning "One of those fortunes was your timely arrival this dawn."

"Oh a wizard is never late nor is he early Odinson." Gandalf gently instructed Thor. "He arrives precisely when means to."

"Your judgment in precise timing was proven on another matter Gandalf." Thor revealed. "You saw yourself that you were right to hope more powers would return to me during this battle. Even if those powers weren't at the strength I know they can be."

"More important than the strength of those powers Thor was the fact you were able to call on them." Gandalf reassured him. "Even as we speak those powers are increasing in strength and the frequency with which you are able to use them." Gandalf then enigmatically observed with an arched eyebrow "Which bodes well for those powers of yours that you still haven't been able to use…"

Before Thor could fully ponder the meaning of Gandalf's words, he noticed three new individuals had just walked up to Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas and himself. Aragorn, Boromir and Rogers had come down from the Hornburg to join their four friends at ground level.

"And how fares the Men of our Fellowship?" Gandalf asked with a mixture of politeness and concern. The Wizard noticed the emotionally drained looks the three of them had.

"We all hope never to be part of a military 'victory' of this sort ever again Gandalf." Aragorn grimly commented.

Gandalf gave a compassionate smile as he imparted "The day we become comfortable with the cost of a battle victory, son of Arathorn, is the day we cease to be the Fellowship and take on the likeness of our Enemy instead."

"Speaking of which…" Rogers started. "With the Uruk-hai defeated at Helm's Deep, what's our next step?"

"That's a good question Captain America." Gandalf agreed before revealing his answer to it. "I shall soon be heading towards Isengard, more particularly the Orthanc, with King Theoden and a company of his men as escort. And of course the six of you are welcome to join us."

"When do you intend to commence your journey Mithrandir?" Legolas enquired having finally got over the shock of Thor's final tally.

"Tomorrow morning, young Greenleaf." Gandalf promptly stated. "We leave immediately following the memorial service for the fallen. Before facing Saruman, Theoden first wishes to tend to the immediate needs of his people at Helm's Deep. Especially in ensuring that the living are comforted and to make a down payment on the immeasurable gratitude they owe the dead."

"That's understandable Gandalf." Boromir concurred. "But assaulting the Orthanc will be no easy task for the Rohirrim even with the aid of our Fellowship."

Boromir had never directly visited the Orthanc before. But as Gondor built the Orthanc, Minas Tirith contained many documents that outlined the layout of the fortress. Remembering what he saw in these documents, Boromir thought that breaking the Orthanc's defences would be hard enough even if they weren't protecting an individual like Saruman!

"Our business in Isengard is a matter to be settled between wizards and not force of arms Lord Boromir." Gandalf assured him

"I'm sorry Gandalf." Rogers interrupted. "I don't disagree with what's just been said but all of you have misunderstood my question."

Seeing the puzzled looks he was getting, Rogers gave an awkward grin before explaining what he most wanted Gandalf to tell him.

"I was more hoping you'd tell us when we'd all be seeing Bruce, Merry and Pippin again!"

* * *

More than an hour had passed since the water the Ents had released from the dam blocking the River Isen had flooded the Orthanc. The water level within its perimeter came just under the thighs of Merry and Pippin. The pair was standing near the rubble that was once the Gatehouse. Their attention was focused on Hulk who continued his attack on the Tower of Orthanc from atop.

"I wonder how much longer Hulk is going to stay up there?" Pippin casually asked Merry.

"I'm not sure Pip." Merry answered. "I'm now even beginning to feel sorry for Saruman. Hulk's pounding away on the Tower since dawn must have given him a terrible headache by now."

Since leaping to its Pinnacle, Hulk had caused more direct damage to the Tower in the last hour than it had suffered since its creation more than 3,000 years ago. Three out of the Pinnacle's four horns had great chunks torn out of them. The only one that Hulk hadn't damaged contained a doorway into the Tower and was still protected by Saruman's earlier spell. Hulk's relentless pounding of the Pinnacle's floor had caused a number of hairline cracks and fractures to form along the Tower's exterior.

But much to his frustration, Hulk still hadn't been able to cause a breach in the Pinnacle to allow him to access the Tower's interior. Hulk still very much wanted to give Saruman his thoughts on the ex-Istari's plans to capture him and the Fellowship's hobbits. By 'thoughts', Hulk meant to beat Saruman into a bloody smear and spread it throughout the inside of the Tower. Hulk eventually stopped his assault on the Tower after he couldn't think of any other way to break into it. Much to his regret, the residual effects of the vortex also meant Hulk was still not strong enough to topple the Tower over at its base. He noticed to the south Merry and Pippin standing towards the back near the Orthanc's ruined Gatehouse.

Treebeard and the other Ents nonchalantly watched Hulk leap off the Pinnacle and soar over a distance of nearly half a mile. Hulk eventually landed some fifty yards in front of Merry and Pippin. The ground beneath the two hobbit's feet shuddered from the impact of Hulk's landing before they were drenched by part of the floodwater Hulk had displaced. Hulk quickly strode up to Merry and Pippin who hadn't moved an inch since Hulk's landing. They were reeling from the soaking they had just received.

"I thought it was 'Hulk Smash' not 'Hulk Splash'!" a somewhat indignant Merry told the Avenger.

Hulk laughed (more a series of light growls to everyone else) at Merry's remark before rapidly reducing in size back to Banner. Banner stood in the water wearing just his braise.

"Sorry guys," a sheepish Banner apologised "neither of us intended you to get soaked like that!"

"Bruce!" Merry and Pippin exclaimed at Banner's return before wadding through the water as quickly as they could to embrace him.

After the three of them had finished their group hug, Pippin asked Banner "How are you feeling now Bruce?"

"The best I've felt since coming to Middle-earth!" Banner proudly claimed. "While the Other Guy still has a way to go before returning to full strength, at least he'll now come out when invited to."

"Well, that's…good news." Pippin replied uncertainly. Like Aragorn and Boromir, Pippin became troubled when he tried to speculate how much stronger Hulk could get. His speculating came to a quick end when he, Merry and Banner noticed some movement from inside the Tower.

With Hulk's attack finally ceasing, Saruman and Grima felt secure enough to peer outside the hole where the doorway to the Tower balcony used to be. The three Fellowship members could tell by the pair's body language that Saruman and Grima were staggered by their initial assessment of the White Hand's decisive defeat.

"Does the Other Guy want to make another appearance now Bruce?" Merry asked wanting to know if Hulk wanted to re-commence his personal grudge match with Saruman.

"Believe or not he's quite relaxed for now." Banner replied. "We're confident that Saruman will keep for now." Banner concluded that if Saruman was able to use his staff to fly like pre-vortex Thor could with Mjolnir, the Wizard wouldn't hang around just to take in the humiliating sights before him.

"If only I could keep my hunger at bay also!" Pippin remarked, unsubtlety hinting about his highest priority at the moment.

"Good luck trying to find something decent to eat around here!" Merry bitterly observed as a result of his own hunger pains. "Probably dead rats and mouldy bread."

Merry had no sooner said this than a juicy red apple floated by Pippin's left from behind. Then another one. The three Fellowship members turned around and quickly began to follow a trail of these apples. The trail seemed to be coming from a doorway on the part of the ringed wall that faced the Orthanc's interior. To Banner's relief, he didn't have to stop either hobbit from eating one of the apples. _Despite their love of food_ _at least these two understand the importance of hygiene_.

The doorway led into a rectangular storeroom that had been carved into the thick interior of Orthanc's ringed wall. A barren table bench was in the middle of the storeroom. The source of the apples was an upside down basket floating on the floodwater that had penetrated into this room also. But in front of trio were four more baskets of apples. These apples were dry though as they were placed on a bench three inches higher than the floodwater level. There was also a selection of cold meats, dry meat and fish, cold roast chickens, loaves of (unmoulded) bread, a variety of cheeses, a healthy supply of butter and many small casks of wine and ale.

"Well I think that takes care of our hunger problems for at least the next few days!" Banner remarked with rueful understatement.

Pippin and Merry made no response, as their attention was totally fixated on two small barrels on the bench.

"I don't believe it!" Pippin quietly exclaimed.

"It can't be!" Merry gasped.

The cousins eagerly grabbed one of the barrels and ripped its top off. A wide smile burst across both their faces as their hopes had been realised.

Banner was at a loss to know what this barrel contained to have taken the two hobbit's attention away from the food and drink arrayed before them. After taking a deeply appreciative smell of the barrel's contents, Merry was pleased to advise the room what they were.

'Longbottom Leaf. The finest pipe-weed in the South Farthing!"

As the doctor in Banner rolled his eyes at this revelation, he noticed to his left a doorway leading into another storeroom. He went to explore this storeroom as Merry and Pippin eagerly began preparing their pipes.

The storeroom Banner entered was similar in design to the one that he had just exited. Instead of food and drink, far less perishable items rested on the bench that ran across its southern wall. This included pewter plates and cups, expensive looking silks and what appeared to be items of silver and gold jewellery. Resting on the bench was a small chest. Opening it, Banner found it stacked to the brim with roughly cut silver and copper coins that all seemed to have some version of a horse embossed on them. Banner was in no doubt that these coins and all the items in both storerooms had been looted by Saruman's forces from the Rohirric settlements they had been raiding. Towards the end of the bench, Banner noticed a much larger wooden chest. After opening it and viewing its contents, Banner gave a similar smile like Merry and Pippin did after they found their pipe-weed…

In the first storeroom, Merry and Pippin started preparing lunch for Banner and themselves from the supplies they had found there. Merry had opened one of the ale casks and was pouring its contents into three wooden mugs. Pippin was putting a spread on two large wooden platters. They both had noticed Banner walk into the adjoining storeroom several minutes ago and were keen to ask him what he had found in it.

"Bruce!" Pippin called out as he placed the food into neat piles on the platters "Sam said you don't eat meat. Will you be alright with just cheese, bread and slices of apple?"

"That'll be fine thanks Pippin." Banner said from the adjoining doorway. Merry and Pippin turned to look at Bruce and both let out a tiny gasp at the sight before them.

Banner wore a long-sleeved, fine suede robe that reached down to his thighs. The robe was black in colour with entwined gold patterns around its turned-up collar, hem and at the end of its sleeves. If nothing else, the vertical line of gold buttons in the middle of the robe indicated it was a nobleman's. Banner also wore a pair of thick black cotton trousers and a pair of black felt boots. The tops of the boots were just peaking above the floodwater.

With an awed grin Merry complimented Banner on his new attire by asking, "You didn't find any other fine Rohan male clothes roughly hobbit-sized back there did you Bruce?"

"I'm afraid there wasn't any Merry." Banner replied. After a pause, Banner remarked soberly "I think it's pretty clear these clothes along with pretty much all the other stuff we've found were looted from Rohan. So I'm trying not to get too comfortable wearing it."

"Well unlike your clothes, all this food will be going off in a few days anyway." Pippin observed. "I'm sure the people the food belonged to will be especially – as you put it – 'ok' that the three heroes who defeated Saruman are the ones who prevent it from going to waste!"

"Don't let Treebeard and the other Ents hear you say that Pippin!" Banner laughed. "Even the Other Guy mightn't be able to protect you from their reaction!"

Joining the spirit of the discussion Merry added, "I wouldn't be so sure Bruce. A Hulk wearing black clothes would be a pretty fearsome sight for anyone!"

At Merry's remark, both hobbits noticed Banner became quickly sullen with a frown on his brow. Banner looked at the ground seemingly lost in thought.

"Is everything alright Bruce?" a concerned Pippin asked.

"I'm…not…sure Pippin." a perplexed Banner advised. "For some reason a weird thought just popped into my head."

Looking at Merry and Pippin, Banner informed them what the thought was.

"It was along the lines of that we all should hope black isn't a colour the Other Guy ever takes a liking to…"

* * *

Deep within Caras Galadhon, Galadriel had been observing Banner, Pippin and Merry through her Mirror over the last few minutes. She could see their interactions in the storeroom but couldn't hear them. Not that it mattered. Observing countless silent discussions through her Mirror over the centuries meant Galadriel was a superb lip reader.

When Galadriel used the Mirror and it showed her an event currently taking place, it sometimes projected the emotional undercurrent of her own thoughts to one of the event's participants. The participant would get a sense of these feelings while not knowing they were coming from Galadriel herself. It was one reason why Galadriel used her Mirror sparingly least her powerful mind overwhelm the participant's own. The Lady of the Golden Wood knew how especially dangerous this was when a participant had the Incredible Hulk as part of their personality.

Galadriel silently reflected on Banner's remarks with the slightest trace of a satisfied smile.

_Many dangers still exist in Middle-earth for you and your fellow Avengers to face Bruce Banner. But be comforted that the danger of the three of you dying at the hands of a corrupted Hulk is no longer one of them._

* * *

**I thought it was appropriate the Lady herself reveal that one of the potential outcomes Cap saw in Galadriel's Mirror has been prevented from happening.**

**The quotes of Rogers and Faramir that formed part of Boromir's recollections were paraphrasing of other ones both characters had spoken in source literature.**

**Following movie-verse, this story has now reached the end of **_**The Two Towers.**_** Things will be settled with Saruman before the three Avengers play their part in the cataclysmic events of **_**The Return of the King**_**.**


	26. Departures and Arrivals

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

22/04/2013

Now begins _The Return of the King_ part of this story. Hopefully I'll be able to wrap up all of its plot lines to the general satisfaction of readers by the end of it.

**Guest**: I wanted to acknowledge that Cap always fights out of a sense of duty rather than personal glory. I think the very human way he responds to loss in war is one of the reasons for his long lasting appeal as a character.

**Arekanderu**: Even if a fully powered Thor and Hulk fought a One Ring wearing Sauron, I don't know if everyone would have their money on the two Avengers to be the victors.

**Beloved Daughter**: One of the keys to this story is finding the right balance between the Avengers making a difference but not too such an extent they render the efforts of the Free Peoples irrelevant.

* * *

**Chapter 26 – Departures and Arrivals**

The Rohirrim women and children that had been sheltering in the Glittering Caves had finally been allowed out of them once the last Uruk body had been removed from the Hornburg. Eowyn led them out into the courtyard behind the Inner Wall. Eowyn was greatly relieved that her uncle had survived this battle. She was also glad that Eomer was present. One of Theoden's first actions after the battle was to formally rescind the banishment order Grima had placed on Eomer and his men.

After her eyes readjusted to sunlight, the Shield-maiden noticed standing in the courtyard the two Fellowship members she secretly cared for the most. Eowyn gave the Valar a silent prayer of thanks as she hugged Aragorn and then Rogers.

"Words can't describe how glad I am to see the both of you well!" Eowyn said to the Fellowship's Co-Leaders. "What about your other companions?"

"They are like Steve and I currently milady - tired but hale." Aragorn advised her.

Rogers was keen to know about the welfare of the refugees who sheltered in the Glittering Caves during the battle. But he suspected Eowyn might still be angry at having been prevented from actively participating in the defence. With this in mind he carefully phrased his question to the Shield-maiden.

"How did things go during the night for all of you ordered into the caves?"

"I don't think even the youngest infants got any sleep due to the sounds of the battle." Eowyn sighed as she recalled the past few hours. "That unnatural sounding detonation was quite frightening to hear. I cannot imagine what must have such a sound!"

Drawing on his past experience Rogers told her "Take it from me Eowyn, you never get over the fear caused by explosive ordinance. No matter how many times you see or hear it."

"At that Steve I fear to think of the destruction generated during your wars on Earth." Aragorn observed to him with a large degree of sympathy. "Especially if they are, as you imply, largely fought with weapons such as the ones used to breach the Deeping Wall."

"Fortunately for the defence of Helm's Deep Aragorn," Rogers soberly instructed "Saruman's mines weren't anywhere near as powerful as a lot of Earth's military explosives are."

Eowyn noted all this before continuing her account of the experience of those sheltering in the Glittering Caves during the battle.

"We in the caves tried to guess how the battle was faring from what we heard. But sometimes it was hard to make out the fighting from other noises. We all heard the rain stop but there was the occasional loud thunderclap that deafened all else. During the battle there must have been storms containing some fearsome displays of lightning!"

Aragorn and Rogers looked at each other and quickly shared a grim half-smile. Both of them recalled Thor's displays of power throughout the battle. They turned their gaze back to Eowyn before Aragorn awkwardly spoke.

"You would be correct in making that assumption milady with the exception of the lightning's source…"

* * *

It was dawn the day after the Battle of Helm's Deep had concluded. All the survivors from the original exodus to Helm's Deep had gathered around the mass pit where the fallen defenders had been laid to rest. Theoden directly faced across the pit the vast majority of the mourners. To his right were Gandalf, Eomer and Gamling and to his left were Eowyn and Legolas.

The Rohirrim that arrived as reinforcements with Eomer were largely outside the fortress given the lack of room to accommodate them within it. Behind these Rohirrim, the many pyres of Uruk bodies were smouldering after having been lit the previous afternoon. Thor had assisted with their disposal. As if to demonstrate Gandalf's observations about his returning powers, the Asgardian ignited many pyres with a lightning bolt. Thor did this with a degree of vindictive satisfaction given the number of defenders these orcs had killed.

The memorial service for the fallen was quite simple. At a nod from her uncle, Eowyn began to sing a funeral lament for the second time in a week. Eowyn was well aware that too many Rohirrim hadn't been as fortunate as she in not losing any loved ones as a result of this battle. The sadness that tinged her lament at Helm's Deep was only slightly less than the lament she sang at Theodred's funeral.

There was a momentary pause after Eowyn had finished singing. All the Fellowship members could hear the pained sobs and muffled cries of those mourning one or more deaths. The silence was broken after Theoden gave Legolas a look. Legolas then sang a lament in Sindarin for the fallen Galadhrim. Rogers and Thor thought that the Elf's voice was the equal of the elven choir they heard in Caras Galadhon. For the vast majority of the Rohirrim it was the first time they had heard any elf sing. The tears many of them had streaming down their faces once Legolas had finished weren't just a reflection of the sorrow they felt for the fallen.

Theoden bowed his head at which the Rohirrim that were charged with piling the soil back over the mass pit began their task. The surviving Howling Commandos were just standing behind Rogers while the service took place. In a touching gesture they all copied Captain America's sharp salute towards the pit as he paid his final respects to their fallen comrades. After a minute had passed Theoden raised his head and walked towards the Hornburg with his court in tow. This marked the end of the service and many mourners began to disperse so they could grieve more freely in private.

Rogers turned and faced the Howling Commandos who were all looking at him. After taking a deep breath to compose himself, Rogers began speaking to them in a measured tone.

"Alright Commandos before I order you to stand down I want you all to promise you'll remember what I'm about to tell you."

Rogers continued after seeing the strong confirmatory nods he was getting.

"When I commission someone a Howling Commando it's not just for a single battle. It's for _life_.

"There were twenty of you at the start of this battle. When the soldiers put me in charge of you they told me you were boys. Well the twenty of you are no longer boys and you're not just Howling Commandos. As far as I'm concerned you're all men now! And I couldn't be more proud of you." Rogers swallowed a lump before adding, "Even if you were my own sons."

Rogers looked at each of the Howling Commandos who had on their faces an expression that was a mixture of tiredness, sorrow and immense pride. He then gave the Commandos his last order.

"Rohan's Howling Commandos – dismissed!"

Many of the slain Howling Commando's mothers were present at the service. They all heard every word Rogers had just spoken. These women now watched each of the survivors of the unit that their son was part of rush up and embrace their Commanding Officer. The immense grief these mothers felt eased a fraction now they knew their sons had at least been in the care of such a kind and noble man.

* * *

The nineteen Rohan Royal Guards that survived the Battle of Helm's Deep would be accompanying Theoden, Eomer and the members of the Fellowship on their journey to the Orthanc. Even if the Royal Guards were at full complement, Theoden would have still had a much larger force escorting his person as he travelled during a time of war. But given that the White Wizard and two Avengers would be joining him on his imminent journey, Theoden thought any extra protection was superfluous.

Some of Eomer's men were reformed into eoreds. Their role would be to continue to scout for and harass any White Hand forces that remained at large throughout the Riddermark. But the bulk of Eomer's men would be providing escort to the refugees as they began to make their way back to their homes (or what was left of them).

This time Eowyn did not argue with her uncle's request to lead the refugee column that was returning to Edoras. This was because the column contained the wounded from the battle that could be moved. Edoras' infirmary was the best in Rohan and it was only proper these Rohirrim receive the best of care. From atop the Gatehouse, Rogers thought Eowyn looked every part the warrior-queen as she led the column down the Causeway on her mount with an eored of her brother's riders closely following her with their banners and lances raised.

It was some 75 miles travel to the Orthanc from Helm's Deep. Theoden's company planned to get there by midday before returning to Helm's Deep where they would stay overnight. They would then make the journey to Edoras arriving sometime there early afternoon tomorrow. Of course these assumptions were dependent on the company dealing with Saruman in an expeditious manner.

As the company got ready to leave, Rogers walked up to Boromir who was adjusting the saddle of the horse the pair of them rode from Fangorn to Edoras on.

"Do you mind if I share a ride again?" Rogers asked him.

"Of…course…you can Steve." Boromir replied somewhat surprised at the request. "But given your display during the battle I think your speed and endurance is no longer a secret to the Rohirrim!"

After giving a quick smile in response Rogers explained "My part in the battle is the reason I'm asking about the ride. After all the running around I did my feet need a rest!"

Glad that Rogers was regaining his sense of humour Boromir responded with a display of his own, "Now that I know a Super-Soldier can on rare occasion suffer the same frailties as the rest of us, you'd be most welcome to ride with me my friend!"

The ride to the Orthanc was fairly uneventful. During the night the part of Fangorn Forest at the head of the valley into Helm's Deep had removed itself. There seemed to be no trace of it or the orcs it killed. The company found a clue of the direction about halfway through its journey. The supply depot that Aragorn had spotted the day before yesterday had been utterly trashed. Some of its wooden pickets and a few hessian sacks were scattered across the ground. But like their kind at Helm's Deep, Fangorn Forest left no trace of the Uruks that had guarded the depot. The mystery of the moving forest was finally solved when the company reached their intended destination at around midday.

The moving forest was now intermingled with even larger part of Fangorn Forest that Treebeard had ordered to surround the Orthanc. Unlike the forest of Nan Curunir that existed prior to its clearance by Saruman's orcs, this forest was not placid. Even if any orc had survived the Ents' assault on Saruman's seat of power they were never going to escape from it alive.

Theoden's company nervously followed Gandalf through the forest towards the Orthanc. The underlying groans that echoed within the forest unsettled both riders and their mounts. The troubling rumours about Fangorn were well known by the Rohirrim. These rumours were now even more troubling given they were valid after seeing how these trees had destroyed the Uruk-hai. After exiting the forest the company took in the sight of the Orthanc from the south.

Even with all the damage to the ringed wall caused by Hulk and the Ents, Rogers and Thor found the Orthanc an architectural wonder to behold. So did many others in Theoden's company who saw the legendary fortification for their first time.

"And I thought the Twenty-First Hall was special." Rogers mused to Boromir and to Thor who was mounted on Graegwind to the pair's right.

"Well let's ask the Orthanc's newly appointed gatekeepers if we can take a closer at it!" Thor responded with heavy irony at the sight of the three individuals facing the company.

* * *

Banner, Pippin and Merry were sitting on the remains of the Gatehouse that was now a large pile of rubble rising above the floodwater. Laid before them was a spread of the cold meats, bread, and cheese they found in the Orthanc storeroom. The trio each held a mug of ale while the two hobbits happily smoked their pipes also. They had been enjoying a picnic (Banner found out that hobbits have a meal called 'elevens' between morning tea and lunch) until Theoden's company had arrived.

Upon seeing that the company contained seven members of the Fellowship, Merry sprang up and proudly proclaimed "Welcome my lords to Isengard!"

While Gimli shared the gladness of the Fellowship present at being reunited he was somewhat envious of the enjoyment Pippin, Merry and Banner appeared to be having.

"You young rascals!" he exclaimed. "A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you, feasting and…smoking!"

"Bruce, did you bother to tell Merry and Pippin that looting is considered a serious war crime on Earth?" Rogers asked Banner in good humour.

Banner raised his mug in salute before replying in the same spirit "I was planning to after I finish this beer Steve!"

"Do you also need to finish it before telling us how you presently fare Banner?" Thor asked him a smirk.

The Fellowship all understood what Banner meant when he enigmatically answered "I probably feel the same way you currently do Thor."

After giving Banner a small nod in understanding about their returning powers, Thor then continued "Then you'd know Bruce that I currently have a great thirst. I would very much like to quench it by some of the ale the three you are presently consuming!"

It went without saying that Thor wasn't the only one dying for a drink. Many in the company thought a mug of ale was the very least Middle-earth owed them for their struggles in its defence over the last few days. One of Boromir's happiest memories of recent times was sharing ale with Faramir and the rest of Gondor's Army after it had reclaimed the ruins of Osgiliath from the Enemy.

Merry sheepishly apologised "I'm sorry Thor but the cask we have here is empty."

The huge disappointment that Thor and a lot of others in the company felt after hearing Merry's news was quickly alleviated by Pippin.

"Don't worry Thor!" Pippin quickly reassured the Asgardian. "In the storerooms there's still plenty of food, wine and ale. In fact you're all just in time to join us for lunch!" Pippin then looked at Rogers and teased him "The biggest crime Steve would be for all these supplies to go to waste such as this salted pork which is particularly good!"

The vast bulk of Theoden's company was ready to take up Pippin's offer in the spot. It had been hours since the meagre breakfast they ate prior to leaving Helm's Deep.

Referring to Saruman, Gimli half seriously asked Gandalf "Do we have to confront the traitor immediately Gandalf?"

"I'm afraid so son of Gloin." Gandalf replied with a mirthful twinkle in his eye. "But I promise afterwards we can partake of the bounty that our three friends are so proud to have found. For myself, I'm sure even after his betrayal Saruman still has impeccable taste in wine!"

At this Gandalf then wheeled Shadowfax around so he could face all of Theoden's company. None of them doubted Gandalf's tone was anything but deadly serious when he warned the company about the foe they were about to face.

"Saruman may be trapped and surrounded by his enemies but don't underestimate the threat he still presents. Beware his voice!"

"My apologies Gandalf." Eomer intervened. "But with his army defeated and his machine of war destroyed, why do you imply Saruman's voice is perhaps a greater danger to us?"

"It's difficult to explain Third Marshal." Gandalf answered. "Only after hearing Saruman's voice will you understand the danger it presents."

"I think I already have some idea Gandalf." Rogers observed. "I fought in a war that largely started as the result of one man's voice."

Thor commented "And those with such tongues are often those we thought we could trust."

Thor remembered Odin telling himself and Loki when they were boys that only one of them could ascend to the Throne of Asgard. As Thor and Loki both grew into manhood they each developed very different leadership styles. Thor's was based on direct action particularly valour, strength and heroic deeds on the battlefield. Loki's though was from oratory and persuasion sometimes with subtle uses of 'magic' to underline a point. Because Asgard emphasised a warrior culture (as well as being Odin's firstborn) it was no surprise that Thor was popular throughout the realm as the All-Father's chosen successor. Loki though was teased as a 'silver tongue' and this reputation eventually spread to Midgard. From this reputation the Norse Peoples eventually attributed Loki to be the 'God of Lies and Mischief' of their mythology. Loki's rebellion was a bitter way for Thor to learn that words can cause much greater harm than even the most powerful of weapons. This included Mjolnir.

"The rest of you would be wise to remember these warnings from two of our Avengers." Gandalf concluded. He then looked back at Pippin before telling him in a far less serious tone "Master Took if we are to have lunch sooner rather than later Merry, Bruce and yourself will need to join us in dealing with Saruman first!"

After the trio began climbing down the pile of rubble they currently sat on, Gandalf called Thor over for a private word. Thor moved Graegwind to be opposite left of Gandalf. The pair of them then began speaking in hushed tones.

"Odinson, I will need your help in protecting the rest of our company from any spell of Saruman's that threatens physical harm." Gandalf then sternly warned the Avenger "But should such a spell be used against me alone – stay your hand!"

Thor's eyes widened in horror to what Gandalf had just requested of him.

"I admit you were right to restrain me from aiding you against the Balrog." Thor began before passionately dissenting as much as a hushed tone would allow, "But with my powers returning I will not idly witness your destruction again! Middle-earth couldn't bear to lose you a second time Gandalf!"

Gandalf was well aware of the way Thor had come to perceive him. By 'Middle-earth' Thor meant 'I'. Ever since Gandalf arrived in Middle-earth from Valinor thousands of years ago the Free Peoples had perceived him as many different things. Among those things were wizard; counsellor; friend; mentor; adventurer; charlatan; entertainer; lore-master; and even manipulator. But until he met Thor none had ever truly perceived him as a father. Given who he was Gandalf never had the desire to start a family of his own. But throughout his whole existence Gandalf occasionally wondered what a loving bond between a parent and their child actually felt like. The relationship he had developed with Thor had given him the tinniest inkling. With this in mind Gandalf leaned over and softly touched Thor's right wrist with his left hand.

"Even if there was the slightest chance that Saruman could harm me, I would not be making this demand of you Thor." Gandalf gently reassured the Avenger. In the same tone he asked Bilbo to trust him about the One Ring, Gandalf then said to Thor "Trust my judgment on this as you would the All-Father's."

As Thor reluctantly nodded his consent he and Gandalf were interrupted by Banner.

"Seeing there are no extra horses to go around would you mind if I shared yours Thor?" Banner asked his fellow Avenger.

"Of course you can my friend." Thor replied as he pulled Banner up by the arm so Banner was positioned behind him. Merry and Pippin were in a similar position sharing the mounts of Eomer and Aragorn respectively.

"Graegwind is among the finest of steeds I've had the pleasure of riding" Thor advised Banner.

"I'm glad you've told me the name of your horse Thor." Banner said before asking an awkward question. "If it's not too much trouble perhaps you can introduce the three of us to the Fellowship's new two-legged friends as well?"

After Theoden's company shared a short embarrassed laugh introductions were made with its three new members.

"On behalf of my people and myself, you have our greatest gratitude for your efforts in defeating Saruman." Theoden regally thanked the trio. "You must tell me how you secured the aid of Fang-"

Theoden's thanks came to an abrupt halt at the astonishing sight he perceived within the Orthanc.

"I grant that it's been many a year since I last looked upon the Tower of Orthanc." A puzzled Theoden began explaining to his company. "But the last report I read about it was less than a year ago. I can't recall the report saying the Pinnacle was now adorned with one horn instead of four…"

Everyone in the company drew their attention to the top of the Tower. Clear for all to see was the destruction wreaked upon three of the Pinnacle's horns caused by Hulk. Two horns were cracked and had large chunks pulled out of them. The other horn had been cleanly broken off the Pinnacle's base.

"Do you know anything about the matter King Theoden speaks of Master Banner?" Legolas asked Banner firmly tongue in cheek.

"Well…um…" a somewhat embarrassed Banner began to stammer. "Let's just say the Other Guy used them to help build a new water feature in Saruman's yard."

"I'm sorry Master Banner but I don't follow your words." a confused Eomer prefaced. "Are you saying you have another companion who is right now atop the Tower?"

Theoden, Eomer and the other Rohirrim present wondered why the Fellowship members were sharing awkward looks at Eomer's question. Fortunately Gandalf came up with the perfect diplomatic reply.

"Perhaps that is an introduction that can be made _after_ we deal with Saruman." Gandalf's words were a hint to Banner as much as an answer to Eomer.

Gandalf had no doubt that Saruman would try and provoke Banner's anger and so release Hulk. It couldn't be assumed that Men in general would be as accepting of Hulk as Aragorn and Boromir had been. Even if Hulk didn't turn on Theoden's company, his appearance would be highly alarming to the Rohirrim to say the least. And Saruman would well know how to play on those fears to drive a wedge of distrust between Rohan and the Fellowship.

Fortunately Banner got the hint as he said to the Wizard, "You'll have no argument from either of us on that Gandalf."

"Surely we can at least introduce everyone else to Treebeard and the other Ents!" Merry strongly argued.

In the best imitation he could of Treebeard's voice Pippin answered his cousin in jest "Now, now don't be hasty Master Meriadoc! Hroom, hroom!"

Gandalf was the only one in the company who understood why Merry and Banner happily laughed in response to Pippin's strange words and the tone he spoke them in.

"Hobbits!" Gandalf muttered in exasperation before nudging Shadowfax towards the interior of the Orthanc.

* * *

**I admit this chapter was a bit of a filler. I wanted the confrontation with Saruman to be a chapter in its own right.**

**With ANZAC Day this Thursday and having a Great Grandfather and two Great Grand Uncles fight in WWI the memorial service at Helm's Deep was a reflection of this. Unlike millions of others at least my ancestors came back home alive.**


	27. Voices of Judgment

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

27/04/2013

From the reviews this story has received since being published I daresay this is a much anticipated chapter. I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I did writing it.

In my after-notes last chapter I forgot to acknowledge that Tolkien himself of served on the Western Front. It just goes to show how fragile a brilliant work of imagination can be if it depends on the life of just one person to create it.

**MasterXMaster**: Main course is now served. _Bon appetit!_

**ColdFang**: Without it containing even a trace of humour, this story would not be entertaining for me to write.

* * *

**Chapter 27 – Voices of Judgment**

The Royal Guards that were part of Theoden's company were ordered to remain near the Gatehouse remains. Gandalf assured them they wouldn't be needed to protect the King from Saruman. Gandalf also secretly wanted to minimise the number of the company who were to be exposed to Saruman's voice. Nonetheless Gamling insisted on remaining at Theoden's side in his capacity as Captain of the Royal Guard.

"In allowing you to accompany me Gamling, your capacity as a friend is more important to me than your role as Captain of my Guard." Theoden graciously told him.

Gandalf then led the company minus the Royal Guards into the Orthanc's now waterlogged interior. After the company had passed into the Orthanc, a pair of the Royal Guards dismounted and climbed the pile of rubble that Merry, Pippin and Banner had been sitting on. The pair of Guards collected the remains of the 'elevens' meal and brought them back to their comrades to be shared. Even Rohan's elite soldiers weren't entirely above opportunistically rewarding themselves with the spoils of victory.

Gandalf advised those accompanying to follow him in a straight line least they fall into one of the many caverns that had their openings now hidden by the floodwater. The dread of the company rose with every inch of the half-mile their horses traversed in getting closer to the Tower.

Given the prior warnings of what to expect from Gandalf, Banner, Merry and Pippin the rest of Theoden's company was only slightly less stunned than they would have been at seeing the Ents for the first time. The company eventually reached the stairs at the base of the Tower where the most senior Ent greeted them. For those previously confused by Pippin's strange impersonation, they all now realised who the Took was trying to sound like when the Ent spoke.

"Young Master Gandalf!" Treebeard warmly welcomed the Wizard being one of the few in Middle-earth who could call him 'young' without any sense of irony. "I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master. But there is a Wizard to manage here, locked in his tower."

Looking up the length of the Tower, Aragorn whispered to an absent Saruman "Show yourself."

"Be careful." Gandalf cautioned him and the rest of the company. "As I advised even in defeat Saruman is still dangerous."

Gimli thought of an immediate solution to the problem "Well, let's just have his head and be done with it!"

"No!" Gandalf sharply disagreed. "We need him alive. We need him to talk."

As the rest of the company tried to guess what Gandalf wanted Saruman to speak of, the latter appeared to them standing atop the Tower leaning on his staff.

"What does he look like Legolas?" Rogers asked the owner of the sharpest pair of eyes in the Fellowship.

"Long-faced with a high forehead." Legolas observed. "His hair and beard are white but strands of black still show about his lips and ears. A look as haughty as Mithrandir's is kind."

"Like, and yet unlike." muttered Gimli.

There was a nervous pause before Saruman eventually spoke.

"Welcome my friends. I stand before you humbled by your valour in arms." So one of the least humble beings in Middle-earth greeted the company.

Many of the Fellowship had heard Saruman's voice only once before. That was when it came across as a demonic growl through Theoden as part of Saruman's possession spell on the King. Now though Saruman's voice washed over them in soothing and reassuring tones. Although the confrontation was taking place outdoors, the acoustics of Saruman's voice was like he was speaking within a tall enclosed dome. In this voice Saruman continued conversing with the company.

"In all wars each side tries to slay as many of its enemies in order to achieve victory. But all wars eventually end and its participants negotiate terms to continue their relationship into the future." Saruman then focused his attention on Theoden. "As one who has fought many wars and slain many men you know this is the way of things Theoden-King. Our war is now ended. Can we also again have peace between us? Can we at the very least take counsel together like we once did my old friend?"

At these words Rogers immediately realised why Gandalf had warned the company about the danger surrounding the Voice of Saruman. Saruman wasn't technically hypnotising the company. But seemingly like all evil geniuses he had a brilliant talent for sophistry. After all Rohan had suffered by the White Hand, objectively it was nonsense to believe that Theoden could fall for what Saruman had just said. But there was something in Saruman's voice that made you consider he had a point. Rogers admitted this was how the 'voice' of the One Ring first sounded to him. Theoden's initial reply made Rogers worry that Saruman's voice had already claimed its first victim from the company.

"I'm happy to share my counsel with you now on how we shall have peace again Saruman." Theoden calmly advised. The King's eyes then blazed and his 'counsel' fully contained the anger that was behind them.

"We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg, are avenged! We shall have peace when you tell me the reason why your orcs slew my son by a cowardly ambush! We shall have peace when you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows!" Theoden paused for a moment before concluding "Accept this counsel 'old friend' and then we shall have peace!"

All the company felt a quiet sense of pride at how emphatically Theoden had rejected Saruman's honeyed arguments to him.

"Gibbets and crows? Dotard!" Saruman spat back angered that he would not be able to control Theoden's mind like before. He turned his anger towards the individual who was mostly responsible in preventing this. "What do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess. The Key of the Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad-dur itself along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the Five Wizards?!"

Banner mused to himself _I'd like to make a joke about those things sounding like items to find as part of a quest from World of Warcraft. But this would be lost even on the only other person from Earth that's here…_

Gandalf drew Saruman's attention to the fact that he was the Istari who had coveted such power. "Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are at risk. But you can save them, Saruman! You were deep in the Enemy's counsel!"

"So you have come here for information." Saruman replied satisfied that the Free Peoples still needed something from him "I have some for you." Saruman then held up his palantir in his left hand.

"Is that a crystal ball?" Rogers asked aloud to the rest of the company.

"It's a _palantir_ Steve, a seeing stone." Gandalf quietly clarified for him. Gandalf then raised his voice so Saruman could also hear his opinion of such an item "A dangerous tool that even a Wizard should not use lightly!"

Saruman seemed amused at this.

"Does your new found purity, 'Gandalf the White', allow you to forget your own actions when you wore the colour Grey? Such as how quickly you enlisted the aid of three strangers each with far greater powers than any derived from a seeing stone!" Everyone present knew Saruman was referring to the Avengers as he continued, "It's a pity their paths didn't cross with mine instead of yours when they first arrived in Middle-earth. I would have told them that no matter how much you profess to care for someone you still have no hesitation in sacrificing them for the supposed 'greater good' you claim to represent!"

"Like you've got the right make judgments on anyone!" a voice from the company snapped.

The voice belonged to Banner. He still shared Hulk's frustration that Saruman hadn't yet directly accounted for the hurt he caused the pair of them as well as Merry, Pippin and the Ents. Gandalf was already unnerved by Banner's response. Not even Legolas noticed the tiny smile that curled on Saruman's lips from the satisfaction of Banner being angered by his words. The corrupted Istari thought 'rattling the beast's cage' was an appropriate metaphor to the words he now directed at Banner.

"One should not misjudge actions that at first appear to be incomprehensible and frightening wouldn't you agree Doctor Banner?" Saruman coolly questioned him in reply.

Banner gasped much more as a result of Saruman knowing his name rather than his thinly veiled reference to Hulk. Saruman then continued in the same tone arguing as if he was the aggrieved party.

"My actions were born out of sheer desperation due to the Free Peoples' apathy and denial towards the threat posed by Mordor! Unlike you and your two friends Doctor Banner they could not claim the defence of ignorance.

"I concede that even by the Istari's standards you are a genius in a number of areas. Unfortunately though, you are still as feeble minded as any from the Race of Men in trying to understand the ways of the Dark Lord!"

Those of the Fellowship who cast a nervous glance in Banner's direction were surprised and relieved to see him smirking at Saruman in reaction to his insult. Banner was well aware that Saruman was trying to provoke him to release Hulk in a fit of anger. It was almost a carbon copy of Loki's tactic on the SHIELD Heli-Carrier. This time Banner wasn't going to give his provocateur the satisfaction of turning him and the Other Guy against their friends. After recalling one of his conversations with Ugluk, Banner thought of a good response to Saruman.

"And how much does it burn you then Saruman that, with his friends, such a 'feeble mind' so comprehensively kicked your ass?!" Banner derisively asked which elicited a number of quiet chuckles from the company members around him.

A seemingly unruffled Saruman replied "I'm afraid the beast's actions here will be ones the Free Peoples will come to regret more than any of mine."

Rogers decided to speak up even though Gandalf mightn't like it. If Legolas and Gimli suffered Captain America's anger from their remarks implying Banner was a mindless beast then Saruman certainly deserved to suffer it from explicitly saying such thing.

"The only thing the Free Peoples probably regret about Bruce's actions here Saruman," Rogers tersely advised "is that they didn't happen sooner!"

"Well spoken!" Eomer murmured in agreement.

Saruman turned his attention now to Rogers. He spoke to him with the same combination of flattery and insults that he did with Banner.

"As the exemplar soldier Captain America you of all people know that battles may be won yet the war they are fought in can still be lost. Is it not so that seemingly disparate forces must sometimes combine to stand against powerful threats that pose a common danger? That any offer of aid against those threats should not be so lightly cast aside whatever their source?"

Like Banner, Saruman knowing one of his identities threw Rogers. Saruman's remarks could also be interpreted as asking Rogers to recall the Allies in World War 2 and the SHIELD Initiative that created The Avengers.

"Is that what you're offering us?" Rogers queried sceptically. "Your help against Sauron?"

"Let me demonstrate my goodwill by giving you some help right now." a gracious sounding Saruman replied. "Some information that I have gleaned from the palantir that Gandalf would have you so fear."

Saruman menacingly held out the palantir and stared into it. He delivered its information to Theoden's company with a shark-like smile of enjoyment.

"The Great Eye presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You're all going to die!" Saruman then lowered the palantir before teasing the company with "Unless…"

"If you have been truly humbled by us Saruman then speak plainly!" a frustrated Boromir berated him. No matter the objective of Sauron's next assault, it was a good bet that Gondor would be caught up in it one way or another.

"Ah the Son of Steward speaks!" Saruman condescendingly observed. "For the Free Peoples a role model of steadfastness against the temptations of evil!"

Holding from behind, Rogers felt Boromir's whole body tense at Saruman's 'compliment'. Boromir was horrified at the prospect that Saruman knew about when he tried to take the Ring from Frodo. Aragorn was the only other person he had confided about this incident. He was even more horrified at the prospect that Saruman was now going to shame him by revealing it to the whole company. Rather than twist this knife, Saruman cut the Gondorian's confidence with another.

Saruman gestured towards Aragorn as he questioned Boromir "I'm sure you remain committed to your father not being usurped as ruler of Gondor by this Ranger from the North? With Gondor sliding towards her doom I'm sure you'd agree this exile, crept back from the shadows, now trying to reclaim its throne is the last thing your country needs?"

"That's enough Saruman!" Gandalf loudly intervened.

He had allowed his former friend to derail these negotiations too much already. While the others speaking hadn't yet led to disaster, Saruman had still been able to unnerve a number of them. The longer these negotiations dragged on the chances of Saruman shattering the unity of Theoden's company increased. Gandalf nudged Shadowfax a few more yards forward of the rest of the company. The more Saruman focused his attention on him the better for all concerned.

"You're right Gandalf." Saruman soothingly agreed. "You and I have deluded ourselves for too long that the Free Peoples were ever capable of standing against the threat of Mordor. But as you told me yourself we still have time enough to counter Sauron if we act quickly. We now have an opportunity to not just counter the Dark Lord but to destroy him forever!"

"You can allow us to seize that opportunity by telling where the Enemy next intends to strike!" Gandalf argued.

"I shall tell you Gandalf but only at a more appropriate gathering." Saruman enigmatically advised.

"What do you mean Saruman?" a genuinely confused Gandalf asked.

With a smirk Saruman briefly locked eyes with Thor before returning his attention to Gandalf as he made reply.

"The old ways are done Gandalf!" Saruman exclaimed in exasperation. "The Valar would have us continue to teach wisdom while Middle-earth falls all around us."

Now it was Thor's turn to be the Avenger startled by a remark of Saruman's. The words Saruman just spoke were almost an exact repetition of the ones Thor once spoke in anger to Odin. Thor had little doubt that Saruman was directing his argument towards him as much as Gandalf. More worryingly part of him still agreed that effective actions were more important than words of wisdom.

"Let us form a new body from the remnants of the Wise with the addition of the three Avengers." Saruman enthused to Gandalf. "Never before has such a force existed throughout the Ages! With our combined knowledge and power we can rule Middle-earth as it was meant to be. Together we can defeat Sauron, end this war and bring a new order of peace and justice throughout Middle-earth!"

Rogers heard all this and largely scoffed at Saruman's argument. But maybe there was a way for the ex-White Wizard to at least make some amends for his actions. By sharing his knowledge of gunpowder and explosives with the Free Peoples, Saruman could help balance the scales away from Sauron. Rogers remembered how he read that after WW2 the United States employed scientists that served the Axis powers to help give it a technological edge in the so-called 'Cold War'. Maybe Sar-

_Stupid!_ Rogers angrily cursed himself.

Rogers now realised how close he had come to being taken in by Saruman's voice! Rogers was angry with himself that, even if it was just for a few moments, he seriously had considered cutting a deal with Saruman. This was the individual whose orcs seriously wounded Boromir and captured Banner, Merry and Pippin. It was Saruman who would have experimented on Banner like the most unethical HYDRA scientist in effort to extract Hulk. _After_ c_oming to terms with Saruman I may as well then spit in the face of every one of those boys who I made Howling Commandos _Rogers thought in self-disgust.

Rogers answered Saruman with dignified firmness "I've previously said 'no' to two other tyrants who each promised to bring a 'new order'. Come down here Saruman and I'll explain to your face my reasons why you're now the third!"

Rogers' words instantly snapped out any other member of the company from the daze of uncertainty that Saruman's voice had lulled them into. Each of these members shared Rogers' anger that Saruman had managed to make them overlook, however briefly, the monstrous evils he had recently committed.

"Will I come down?" Saruman mocked. "Does an unarmed man come down to speak with robbers out of doors?"

"Come down, Saruman!" Gandalf reiterated Rogers' offer but in a kindlier fashion. "Surrender your staff and the Key of the Orthanc and you have my word your life will be spared!"

Saruman seethed at Gandalf's words. He had no doubt, in his mind, that Gandalf was the main reason that the rest of the company had resisted the sorcery behind his voice. Saruman decided to solve this problem directly.

"Save your pity and your mercy!" he angrily snapped at Gandalf. "I have no use for it!"

In the blink of an eye Saruman released a jet of flame from the end of his staff. The jet engulfed Gandalf and Shadowfax in a ball of fire. Thor rapidly drew out Mjolnir in response. The only thing that stopped him from releasing a lightning bolt at Saruman was his earlier word to Gandalf outside the Orthanc. That said he was just as amazed as the rest of the company (and it must be said Saruman) at what he saw when the flames cleared.

Gandalf and his mount hadn't even been singed by Saruman's attack. In a voice of doom Gandalf pronounced his judgment on this and all other actions of Saruman since his betrayal.

"Saruman your staff is broken and as such you are hereby cast out of our order!"

There was a loud crack and the staff Saruman held in his right hand splintered into countless tiny pieces. Saruman reflexively soothed his right hand with his left. But this was more out of dismay at how easily Gandalf had stripped him of his power than any cuts from splinters.

Gandalf's display of power also troubled Thor somewhat. It was very similar to the words and actions of Odin when he cast Thor out of Asgard.

While all of Theoden's company, with the exception of Gandalf, was momentarily reeling from the events that just transpired their attention was drawn by an individual who had warily crept up to be just behind Saruman's left.

Eomer correctly identified the individual through angry clenched teeth.

"_Wormtongue!"_

* * *

Saruman had originally forbade Grima from joining him on the Pinnacle to confront Theoden's company. But upon hearing the commotion outside Grima's curiosity got the better of his fear of disobeying Saruman. He tried to be inconspicuous in peering over the edge of the Pinnacle but everyone in Theoden's company had spotted him. No one was more surprised than Grima at what Theoden told him.

"Grima, you need not follow him." Theoden calmly pointed out to him in reference to Saruman. "You were not always as you are now. You were once a Man of Rohan. Come down."

"A Man of Rohan?" Saruman derisively scoffed. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Theoden, Horse-master! You are a lesser son of greater sires!"

By the way Theoden's eyes flickered in reaction to this, Rogers could tell the King had been genuinely hurt by Saruman's insult. Rogers couldn't believe he was paraphrasing one of Stark's insults to him as he spoke out in the King's defence.

"Saruman out of you and King Theoden, which one of you has a) been completely stripped of his power and b) recently suffered two humiliating defeats on the same day?!"

"Don't flatter yourself of your significance boy!" Saruman angrily snapped back. With the loss of his staff, Saruman's hate of the three Avengers who played a pivotal role in his downfall was there for all to observe. "You and your two other ridiculously named 'Avengers' are still nought before the might of the Dark Lord! What are the three of you really? A faded demi-god and two freaks of experimentation!"

Banner shrugged his shoulders at the nervous looks some in the Fellowship were giving him. Remembering Loki's taunts on the SHIELD Heli-Carrier he casually reassured them "The Other Guy and I have been called worse…"

Saruman had indeed hoped to anger Banner with his insult. He failed on two counts. First, Banner remained unruffled. Second, he angered another Avenger who didn't need to physically transform to unleash a deadly rage.

"Just say the word Gandalf!" Thor bellowed with a murderous gaze fixed on Saruman. Holding Mjolnir, Thor ominously threatened in regards to Saruman "And with my 'fading power' I'll put down this old dog who cowardly yaps from high above us!"

"Patience Thor!" Gandalf urged him.

It was then Gimli who angrily spoke out.

"I'm sorry Gandalf but my patience is at an end! We should shut the traitor's gob now. I don't care if it's by arrow or lightning bolt!"

"No!" Gandalf emphatically ordered when he saw Legolas commence drawing an arrow as if to honour Gimli's request.

After putting aside the hurt he felt from Saruman's insightful insult about his worthiness, Theoden again regally offered Grima "Grima, come down. Be free of him."

"Free?!" Saruman scorned Theoden's offer to Grima. "He will never be free."

"No." Grima meekly disagreed.

Saruman shot Grima a gaze as murderous as the one Thor just gave him a few moments ago. The only greater humiliation for Saruman than losing his staff would be if such a pathetic man as Grima Wormtongue just walked away from his service.

"Get down, cur!" he growled at Grima as an order for him to get back into the Tower. He followed it up with a nasty backhand slap that fell Grima to the Pinnacle floor.

"Saruman!" Gandalf called out to regain his attention. "You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!"

Lying flat on the ground the sting of pain Grima felt from Saruman's blow was replaced by a burning hatred. He hated Saruman for the way he consistently treated him despite his loyalty. He hated that Saruman saw him as a mere pawn to advance his greater schemes. He hated how his betrayal of Rohan had lost him everything he once held there. In Saruman, for the first time in many years Grima hated something more than he hated himself. From within the folds of his robe Grima slowly began to draw a hidden dagger from its sheath…

"Very well then!" Saruman angrily conceded trying to salvage something from the situation. "You withdraw your guard, and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here!"

Rogers had been wondering how Middle-earth's version of the parable of the Prodigal Son would play out. He got his answer when he and everyone else in the company saw Grima begin plunging his dagger into Saruman's back multiple times. Legolas quickly drew an arrow with his bow and aimed it at Grima. But he was shocked to see the head of Mjolnir resting on the arrowhead's point preventing him from releasing it. He spun his head right to give Thor a confused look.

"King Theoden has offered one of his subjects amnesty." Thor explained his actions. "Until that offer is withdrawn or rejected no one in our company has the right to ignore it."

Thor lowered Mjolnir only after Saruman's now lifeless body toppled down the Tower until it was impaled by one of the spikes on one of the few headframe wheels that Hulk and the Ents hadn't destroyed. The palantir Saruman had tucked away in one of his sleeves fell out and made a noticeable splash as it sunk beneath the floodwater. Theoden's voice made Grima blink out of the frenzied savagery he currently felt.

"Grima! I wasn't lying to you previously just as a means to get to Saruman. Please come down so we can at least speak with each other without having to shout. I swear by my Oath as King of Rohan that you'll not be harmed!"

Grima pondered Theoden's words for a couple of seconds before nervously replying "I'll…make my way down…this moment milord."

* * *

While waiting for Grima to join the company, Gandalf urgently ordered Gamling "Send word to all our allies, and to every corner of Middle-Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike!"

Gamling wheeled his horse around before trotting at a quick pace to pass this order on to the Royal Guards who remained waiting at the Orthanc's perimeter. For the first time since welcoming Theoden's company Treebeard began talking.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away." He said matter of fact before outlining the Ents long-term plans for the Orthanc. "Trees will come back to live here. Young trees. Wild trees."

Pippin was paying no attention to Treebeard as his attention was captured by the orange glow under the floodwater from where the palantir was located. He immediately hoped off the mount he was sharing with Aragorn to take a closer look at it. Pippin ignored the calls of concern made to him by Aragorn and Banner.

"Bless my bark!" Treebeard remarked after Pippin pulled out the palantir from the water.

"Peregrin Took!" Gandalf strongly commanded him. "I'll take that, my lad. Quickly now."

The other members of the Fellowship were puzzled at how reluctantly Pippin handed over the palantir to Gandalf. Gandalf quickly tucked it under the folds of his robe. Gandalf then moved back to beside Theoden.

Aragorn helped a distracted looking Pippin back on to his horse. As he sat the hobbit to his front, a series of loud clanging noises came from the Tower doors. With Saruman dead his spell that blocked their opening had now been dispelled. One of the doors opened and Grima walked from out of it. He pensively looked around as he walked down the stairs to where the floodwater line crossed them. Grima then knelt on both knees and with his head down he began to speak as firmly as his nerves allowed.

"King Theoden," he humbly began "I surrender myself to your judgment for my crimes. I would ask for mercy. But I don't because I know I thoroughly deserve none. I shall accept without rancour whatever sentence you pass on me. Even if it is death."

Eomer secretly hoped his uncle passed such a sentence on Grima. And that he was the one Theoden gave the pleasure of carrying it out.

After receiving a quick nod from Gandalf confirming the sincerity in Grima's words, Theoden then began to speak.

"Very well then Grima." the King spoke in a business-like manner. "But first rise and look at your King in the eye as he passes judgment as a Man of Rohan should."

As fellow royalty Thor was very proud of Theoden's approach in this matter. Thor remembered how he and Aragorn had to halt Theoden from striking down Grima in a fit of rage just outside the Golden Hall. Even after what the King had discovered and experienced since then, right now he was willing to sentence Grima through justice not vengeance.

After Grima complied with his command, Theoden passed his judgment on his former Chief Counsellor.

"Grima, son of Galmod your crimes are very great. You willingly betrayed your oath of office, your king and your fellow countrymen by swearing service to Saruman. Your actions played their part in causing death and suffering to a great many Rohirrim."

A shamefaced Grima nodded as he cast a downward glance.

"I said look at me Grima!" Theoden firmly reminded him at which Grima sharply looked up. "Now I can say to your face that I do believe your contrition is genuine. Genuine enough for you not to have your life forfeit."

Theoden held his hand up to stop his nephew's objections that Grima's life was going to be spared.

"Am I to return with you to Edoras milord?" Grima asked with a mixture of hope and dread.

"No Grima." Theoden flatly advised him. "You have a long way to prove yourself worthy to ever again re-enter anywhere in the Riddermark."

The rest of the company sensed that Theoden was going to sentence Grima to sort of exile. Theoden first asked Grima a question that was strange at face value.

"How well stocked are you for supplies within the Tower?"

"There are several months worth of food and drink within the Tower if that's what you mean milord." a baffled Grima answered.

"Maybe we should take the quality stuff ourselves first?" Pippin pondered aloud.

"Hush!" a smiling Aragorn gently silenced him.

With his question answered Theoden then passed sentence on Grima.

"Grima son of Galmod, I Theoden-King hereby order that you confine yourself to this Tower. You are to remain confined until this sentence is rescinded by royal decree. On the steps of the Meduseld you claimed you've only ever served me. You can prove it during your confinement.

"I want you to examine any book, any document, any scrap of parchment that was Saruman's. I want you see if they contain any information that could tell us what Sauron's plans are. _Any_ information no matter how seemingly insignificant I wish to know about. I shall be sending an eored here two weeks hence for you to deliver your report to. Do you understand what I'm telling you Grima?"

After Grima nodded in response, Theoden then turned and spoke to Treebeard.

"I hope this arrangement is not too big an imposition on you and your fellows Master Ent?" he politely asked.

"None at all young Horse-Master!" Treebeard magnanimously replied.

"I sincerely hope you take the opportunity that has presented itself to you Grima." Theoden warned him. "Because there will not be another one should you betray my trust again!"

"I will not fail you on this milord!" Grima promised.

"Good." Theoden curtly responded. "Is there anything else you wish to say before our company departs?"

"Only to say milord is most g-" Grima began grovelling before being cut off by Theoden.

"Grima!" Theoden sternly halted him. "Now is the time for you to speak the truth not engage in meaningless displays of flattery."

"There is one thing milord." Grima said after carefully thinking for a moment. "Please give my apologies to the Lady Eowyn for my behaviour towards her of late. Please tell her I shall not haunt her steps any more."

Theoden gave a small and quick nod of consent to Grima's request before turning Snowmane around and began leaving the Tower behind. The majority of the company began following the King's lead.

"Wait!" Banner told Thor before they joined them. Banner had to give a sad and fond farewell first.

"Take care of yourself Treebeard." Banner told the Ent that had taken care of him, Merry and Pippin over the last few days. "If you and the Ents are still here when I next see you, I'll be glad to give you a hand with your reforesting." After a pause Banner then added, "The Other Guy can also help move some stuff if you need him to."

Treebeard gave a wide Entish smile to Banner's words before making his reply.

"We have become friends in so short a while that I think I must be getting hasty! The two little shirelings and you Master Banner will be considered friends of the Ents as long as leaves are renewed. And I must say Master Hulk would be most welcome to return. He is one of the first new things under Sun or Moon that I have seen for many a long, long day! Fare you well!"

Grima gave a huge sigh of relief after all but one of the company had their backs turned to him. Despite how badly he betrayed Rohan, its King had shown him mercy. Saruman was wrong about no one else accepting him. Grima now only wished he had first said 'no' to Saruman when he persuaded him to be an agent of his. Even if Grima never saw Rohan again he wasn't going to betray it a second time. Treebeard interrupted Grima's thoughts.

"Hroom, come now little worm." Treebeard gently encouraged Grima. "Both of us have much work to do."

After a beat, a dazed Grima agreed "Er, yes of course Master Ent."

As Grima climbed back up the steps into the Tower he realised that for the first time in his life someone had called him 'worm' not intending it to be an insult.

* * *

Eomer and Merry rode close to Theoden. Merry hoped the King wouldn't be offended by what he was about to remind him of.

"Excuse me…Your Majesty." Merry hoped he spoke the correct title when first addressing a king. "Do you still want to…er…um."

Theoden laughed for the first time in days at Merry's touching awkwardness.

"I may be a king Master Meriadoc but I have the same basic needs as any other man." Theoden informed him with an understanding look. "Please direct us to where those tempting refreshments you found are currently kept!"

Behind Theoden and Eomer, Thor and Banner rode to the right of Boromir and Rogers. Banner looked over to Rogers before speaking to him.

"Hey, Steve. Over the last day and a bit we also checked out some of the other storerooms that hadn't been damaged. One of them was an armoury of sorts."

"We found the daggers that Lady Galadriel gave Merry and I that the orcs took from us!" Pippin proudly piped up from behind.

"Well apart from that," Banner said after a short laugh "I also found four iron cases that looked like cannonballs. Guess what was in them?"

"Napalm?" Rogers rhetorically answered.

Banner was taken aback at Roger's quick and correct guess about the cases' contents.

"How did you know that?" he asked somewhat stunned.

After letting out a deep sigh Rogers advised him, "Over lunch Bruce I'll tell you all about the Battle of Helm's Deep."

The one member of the company that had not yet turned away from the Tower was Gandalf. He remained staring at Saruman's corpse that was still impaled on the spike it landed on atop the headframe wheel. Externally Gandalf was stony-faced. But internally he grieved at the fate his former fellow Istari and close friend had chosen for himself. Even after his own coming back from it, Gandalf wasn't sure what now awaited Saruman after physical death.

_Because of your recent actions the Free Peoples shall always remember you as a tyrant and a traitor_. Gandalf silently spoke to Saruman's corpse. _But even if the rest of Middle-earth forgets, I shall always remember the time when you were Saruman the Wise!_

"Goodbye old friend." Gandalf whispered with sincere regret before turning Shadowfax to join the rest of Theoden's company.

No one witnessed that about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figured it loomed next to the Tower. For a moment it wavered, looking to the west; but out of the west came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing.

* * *

**I hope the final confrontation with Saruman was worth the wait. The last paragraph is to acknowledge that Saruman's death in the movie was completely different to that in the book.**

**A few reviewers were hoping for a plot twist during this chapter. I hope Grima's survival was one that readers didn't think was too obvious. Be assured this wasn't just for show. Grima's sentence will have an important part to play later on in the story.**

**Tolkien intentionally left many instances of canonical doubt in his works. Examples include the real nature of Tom Bombadil and the ultimate fate of the three other Istari. I leave it to the reader's interpretation whether Saruman actually did know about the incidents he hinted at involving members of the Fellowship or whether he was just bluffing. I'm not too keen to chase the matter up myself. I'm reminded of the old proverb that Gildor told Frodo in the book – **_**Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.**_


	28. A Lucky Break

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

03/05/2013

**Straight Edghe**: Thank you for taking the time to write all those reviews. You raised a lot of good points and unfortunately I don't have the space to answer all of them. All I will say is that Thor's count was only from those Uruks he struck directly with Mjolnir. But even then I think he understated his count so as not to embarrass Legolas & Gimli too much!

**Brad W:** Even if Gandalf could I don't think Thor would worry about the White Wizard stripping him of his power. I thought Gandalf's words and actions would have brought back the uncomfortable memory Thor has of the time when Odin cast him out of Asgard.

**Lunatic Pandora 1:** If Thor tried to do such a thing I think Hulk's reaction would be something along the lines of "Get in line puny god!"

**Lupin2020**: Given who Red Skull was, I can't imagine how Cap would've reacted on finding out the US gave sanctuary to a scientist like Shiro Ishii after WW2.

**Avengerscrazygirl:** I salute your reading prowess! In answer to one of your earlier reviews I think my notes at the start of Chapter 19 will indicate what grade of school I'm currently in.

* * *

**Chapter 28 – A Lucky Break**

As well as enjoying a thoroughly good lunch, Theoden's company also took the time to examine the contents of the other storerooms located within the Orthanc's ringed wall. Theoden decided he would send a larger company to the Orthanc at a later date to collect all the stolen Rohirrim items. The items would then be returned to their owners if they were still alive and given to the destitute if they were not. The company also took time to look in the storeroom that Banner referred to as an armoury. The four cases of napalm he found in there were dry placed atop a bench. In somewhat of a surprise to many in the company, Rogers recommended they take the cases with them.

"I know the reason why a lot of you have strong feelings about using enemy weapons." Rogers said implicitly referring to the One Ring. "But please trust me on this. If we find ourselves in a siege again what's in these cases will come in handy."

"As you know about more this type of weapon than the rest of us Steve, we accept your judgment on this without hesitation." Aragorn replied.

"I concur." Boromir agreed before wistfully stating "I would very much like the Orcs of Mordor to suffer this weapon's effects like their brethren from Isengard did!"

Theoden's company eventually left the Orthanc mid-afternoon before returning to stay overnight at Helm's Deep. The thirteen members of Theoden's company that directly confronted Saruman enjoyed a simple dinner in the Main Hall as they sat along both sides of a long table. Boromir had finally changed out of the late Cynric's armour. He was back wearing his customary Gondorian vestments for the first time since before the Battle of Helm's Deep.

Banner outlined his background to Theoden, Eomer and Gamling. It appeared that not all Avengers were mighty warriors. The trio learned that by profession Banner was a gifted scholar in a number of study areas. His title of 'Doctor' indicated to people in his world that he had attained a very high level of educational achievement.

Banner also described the 'Other Guy' to the three ranking Rohirrim in detail. The condition that Banner possessed, that had the strange name of 'Hulk', meant he had the potential to singularly overpower even the greatest of armies of Middle-earth! Given this, as well the man's phenomenal intellect, Theoden understood why the one called 'Fury' wanted to recruit Banner as an Avenger.

Merry, Pippin and Banner then told the rest of the gathering all that had transpired from when they were captured by the Uruk-hai at Amon Hen right up to when they met Theoden's company outside the Orthanc. This included when Hulk drenched both hobbits and Merry's response to it.

"As Saruman learnt, it would be a fool who deliberately tries to anger you Bruce!" Eomer observed.

Banner awkwardly remarked "In that case I'm the biggest fool. As I said to Steve and Thor once, my secret to keeping on top of Hulk is that I'm always angry."

"Bruce if you were angry the whole time the three of us were in Fangorn, it's the most polite and helpful anger I've ever come across!" Merry wanted to indirectly assure the Rohirrim that his friend posed no danger to them.

"Nonetheless I agree with Gandalf that this 'Hulk' is not casually revealed to my people." Theoden stated. "I suspect they, like their King, have had more shocks over the last few days than normally would be expected in one lifetime!"

"That's good advice from Gandalf milord." Pippin agreed before adding "Especially because I think, secretly, Gandalf's angry all the time as well."

Gandalf put down the wooden goblet of red wine he was about to drink from.

"I do beg your pardon Master Took?!" an indignantly bemused Gandalf asked him.

Trying to keep a straight face Pippin explained "Gandalf at one time or another you've threatened every hobbit you've ever come across that you'd cast a spell on them. Like the time you told Merry and I that you'd light us up like fireworks if we didn't do the dishes at Bilbo's Birthday Party."

"That was only because the both of you, from nothing other than foolish curiosity, decided to steal my Red Dragon firework and ignite it inside a tent!" a mildly exasperated Gandalf pointed out.

"But the whole Shire raved about the way that dragon filled up the night sky when it exploded!" Pippin countered. "I lost count of the number of hobbits that congratulated Merry and I about launching it."

"All that shows Pippin is that the much vaunted 'Hobbit Commonsense' is a sense not that common among hobbits!" Gandalf huffed.

"I think Gandalf's just shown you're right about him being an angry fellow Pip." Merry said to join in on his cousin's fun at the expense of the White Wizard. Banner decided too as well.

"Do the both you think it would help if I taught Gandalf some of my meditation techniques?" Banner asked Merry and Pippin with a wink.

After giving a slightly exaggerated sigh of annoyance Gandalf warned Banner "Bruce, continue to take Merry and Pippin's side in this debate and I not threaten but promise my next spell shall be cast on you. Its effect being that you'll have to see if you can summon Hulk from being a toad!"

"That's alright Gandalf." Banner casually shrugged before saying with a twinkle in his eye "In that event the Other Guy would then have every right to say 'Hulk Splash!'"

At Banner's retort to Gandalf a variety of happy laughter echoed throughout the Main Hall.

* * *

Theoden decided to spend an extra day at Helm's Deep before returning with his company to Edoras. In the morning he visited the wounded still kept there and further inspected the damage the fortress sustained from the battle. In the afternoon he visited some villages in the Westfold that had been subject to attacks by the White Hand.

Rogers indirectly took up Eowyn's offer of a few days ago and had one of the Rohirrim sentries give him a tour of the Glittering Caves. Gimli and Banner accompanied him on his tour. Rogers thought even Eowyn's generous description of the caves didn't do them justice. The manner Gimli enthused about the caves reminded the pair of Avengers of when they were in Lothlorien and Legolas described the beauty of the forest around the Fellowship. After what he saw of Moria, Banner thought Dwarves had a totally utilitarian outlook towards geology and minerals. The environmentalist in Banner was then pleasantly surprised when Gimli remarked that Dwarves would consider it unthinkable to mine such an underground natural wonder as the Glittering Caves. Rogers thanked the sentry for the tour and asked for another small favour. The sentry assumed that the only reason Captain America would want drawing materials was to sketch battle plans.

Theoden's company eventually reached Edoras by mid-afternoon the following day. Eowyn's column arrived at Edoras earlier that morning. Unlike the journey to Helm's Deep, the column didn't waste time as a result of making any detours to avoid attacks from warg-riders.

Because of the Uruk-hai's defeat at Helm's Deep, Edoras had not suffered any damage from Rohan's war with Isengard. As Theoden's company made its way to the Royal Stables, the Fellowship members who entered Edoras about a week ago couldn't help but contrast then with now. There was a buzz of activity as residents made way to their homes and reunited with their neighbours. It was true many residents were still mourning for the fallen. But by the same token the gloomy mood that pervaded the city about a week ago had been replaced by one of relief and cautious optimism. Both because of the victory over Saruman and that Rohan now had the Fellowship of the Ring aiding her in the greater struggle against Sauron.

Merry, Pippin and Banner were seeing Edoras for the first time. After their experience in Bree, both Merry and Pippin concluded that Men must like living in stockaded wooden cities. Banner thought that he was now seeing one of the reasons that Saruman had developed napalm. The two hobbits attracted attention and whispers from the Rohirrim that Theoden's company passed by. Eomer found that the rumours of a Lady of the Golden Wood were true from the Fellowship. The Fellowship now had shown to all of Edoras that the tales of a short folk living faraway to the north were based on reality as well.

Theoden's company eventually halted when they reached the Royal Stables. Stable hands employed there aided the company as they dismounted from their steeds. Eowyn was also waiting for the company wearing a simple but fine white cotton dress. After sharing a heartfelt embrace with his niece, Theoden asked her the most important question currently on his mind.

"How fare our wounded?"

"Fortunately milord there was enough room for them in the infirmary." Eowyn advised before regretfully adding "But we are short on skilled healers to tend to them all."

"I can help!" Banner piped up at hearing this.

Theoden didn't know that the previous day both Banner and Aragorn offered to help treat the wounded at Helm's Deep. Unfortunately for these patients 'wounded' meant 'dying'. Banner thought even with the best of Earth's medical technology at his disposal he would've struggled to save those poor men. He hoped the infirmary at Edoras had patients whose lives he could save.

"I would volunteer to go with you Bruce," Aragorn said "but there are some matters Gandalf and I need to discuss first."

"Sure I understand." Banner replied.

A surprised Theoden then entered the discussion.

"Please do not think that I doubt your word or your prodigious intellect Doctor Banner. But I always question someone who asks for employ at our infirmary about his actual knowledge of the healing arts. It's paramount to me that any of my people needing treatment for their wounds there are in the care of skilled and competent hands."

Banner wasn't even slightly offended by Theoden's request for information. But he was unsure if his professional qualifications would actually mean anything to Theoden. Banner thought it best to tell the King about the medical work he did during his life on the run. But before he could speak Thor intervened. Thor demonstrated that the bond of loyalty between Avengers didn't just come out when in battle or answering insults.

"By your leave Theoden-King?" At a nod from the King, Thor stated "If I or any other of my father's subjects were suffering wounds I would have no hesitation asking Doctor Banner to treat them."

Thor's remarks dispelled any questions Theoden had about Banner's medical credentials. A Crown Prince with the title of 'God of Thunder' was a very impressive reference for any job applicant to have! The only thing Theoden doubted was, after what he witnessed at the Battle of Helm's Deep, whether Thor could actually suffer injury.

"Gamling, could you please escort Doctor Banner to the infirmary and there introduce him to Chief Healer Pryte." Theoden ordered the Captain of the Royal Guard. "Tell the Chief Healer that apart from treating the wounded, I would please like Doctor Banner to advise him on any way we can improve the practice of healing at the infirmary."

Because Gamling had his back turned to him, Banner didn't notice the startled eyebrow raise Gamling gave in response to Theoden's order. As Gamling began leading Banner to the infirmary he privately would have preferred if Theoden ordered him to charge solo at fifty of the fiercest warg-riders.

The infirmary could be reached on foot relatively quickly from the Royal Stables. After Gamling had opened one of the double doors that led into the infirmary, even with his knowledge and experience Banner was still thrown by what he observed. The sight and smell of blood was everywhere. There were the cries and moans of pain from many wounded that waited treatment. The wounded who had the attention of the overworked healers often screamed louder from the 'treatment' they received including unanesthetized amputations. _I'd be happy to give you advice on how to improve this infirmary King Theoden but the problem is I don't know where to start!_ Banner thought.

One of the infirmary's orderlies brought the Chief Healer to meet with Gamling and Banner. Chief Healer Pryte was about an inch shorter than Banner and was ruddy faced with a portly build. By the snow-white hair that stuck out from under his ermine cap, Banner guessed Pryte was in his mid to late sixties. Unlike the vast majority of adult Rohirrim males, Pryte was beardless.

The bloodstained white apron that Pryte wore over his black robes indicated how busy he'd been of late. The attitude Pryte soon openly displayed made Banner think the worst caricature of the 'health bureaucrat' wasn't just found on Earth. Namely, Pryte valued the authority that went with his position and the rules that enforced it more than the patients he was supposed to care for.

"What is so important that you needed to see me about Captain Gamling?" Pryte asked Gamling as if it were impertinence that the Captain of the Royal Guard should even seek his attention. Pryte ignored Banner as if he wasn't even present.

Gamling declined to take the bait least Pryte complain to the King about the response he really wanted to give to the Chief Healer's rudeness.

"Chief Healer Pryte," Gamling answered calmly "may I introduce Doctor Bruce Banner who has a deep understanding of the healing arts."

Despite being shorter than Banner, Pryte turned up his nose at the Avenger and gave him a look of disdain with his cold blue eyes. Gamling quickly continued to let Pryte know the reason, and more importantly who had asked, for this introduction to be made.

"King Theoden himself has ordered that Doctor Banner assist with treating the wounded and to advise you on how we can better improve healing practice in the infirmary."

Pryte's eyes narrowed at this. As far as Pryte was concerned his own word was final in how 'his' infirmary was run. But he couldn't disobey a direct order from the King either. Pryte sought to deal with this challenge to his authority by trying to intimidate Banner instead.

"I don't care what your knowledge of the healing arts are 'Doctor' Banner." Pryte snootily advised him. "If you are to serve in this infirmary the most important thing for you to know is that you do exactly as I tell you. Second, you'll give me your advice only when I ask for it. Third, you'll treat no other patients other than those that I assign you. Fourth…"

Banner mentally tuned out of Pryte's officious diatribe. His attention was grabbed by what he saw over Pryte's right shoulder. Banner's eyes widened with horror when he noticed a healer about to start treating another patient without even washing hands first.

"Stop!" he loudly called out to the healer before walking towards him.

Pryte was somewhat dismayed that this interruption indicated that Banner hadn't been in the least bit cowered by his lecture. He closely followed Banner and both of them stopped when they reached the healer.

"You let your staff start treating a patient without even washing their hands first?" Banner questioned Pryte about the infirmary's non-compliance with, to Banner, such a basic surgical procedure.

"What of it, Doctor Banner?" Pryte wearily responded as if he was dealing with a mindless simpleton. The Chief Healer was privately puzzled though at why Banner was so worked up about such a triviality.

"What of it?" Banner sarcastically repeated "Does the word 'infection' mean anything to you?!" If he hadn't been so ticked off by Pryte's attitude, Banner would have been more forgiving of Rohan's medical knowledge being something equivalent to that of Medieval Europe.

A number of infirmary staff looked nervously in Banner's direction. They feared Pryte like newly enlisted military recruits feared the most grizzled Drill Sergeant. They knew that Banner would soon be joining them as being a victim of a dreaded Pryte scolding.

"Hold your insolent tongue sir!" Pryte shouted at Banner for all to hear. He then continued slightly less loudly, "I've run this infirmary for more than a decade! I'll have no upstart impudently telling me how I should do so. Even if that upstart comes with the King's favour!"

Banner knew he promised Gandalf and Theoden not to casually reveal Hulk to the Rohirrim. But the lives of the infirmary's patients were currently on the line. Banner decided to give the Other Guy's opinion on the manners and medical competence of this regulatory prima donna. Banner's skin took on the slightest shade of green as he gave Pryte a full murderous glare. He then used Hulk's voice to menacingly 'advise' of the first procedural improvement the infirmary should make.

"_Pour water so we can all wash our hands puny healer!_"

After swallowing a nervous lump, a shaken Pryte then turned his back on Banner before loudly ordering in moderate panic "Orderlies start pouring water in bowls! Healers from now on you are not to treat a patient without washing your hands first!" So he wasn't again subject the fearful wrath that Banner displayed, Pryte then added "And you have my permission to follow any instruction Doctor Banner gives you!"

Gamling turned to leave the infirmary after Banner called for some surgical clothing to wear in his normal voice. He left the infirmary with a wide smile on his face while heading back towards the Meduseld. Gamling would happily report to Theoden that Hulk's first display in Edoras had led to the humbling of an even greater tyrant than Saruman.

* * *

Theoden kept his unspoken word to Grima by passing on his apology to Eowyn. Eowyn coldly received it by telling her uncle that she could never forgive Grima. Not just for his lascivious behaviour towards her. But also for the actions he took against her uncle, cousin, brother and country. Theoden simply shrugged in response.

"Contrary to what you may think sister-daughter I don't doubt the strength of your heart. One reason being is that it doesn't contain the capacity to forever hate any one person."

As much as she hated to admit it, privately Eowyn knew her uncle was correct in his assessment of her. Maybe it was because she considered Grima a friend before his betrayal of Rohan. She remembered her first conversation with Grima took place in the Golden Hall's library when she was a child of ten and he had just commenced service as a minor advisor at court. She had been sitting at a table sulking at a pile of books in front of her when he came to get a book about Rohan's legal codes.

"_What troubles you Lady Eowyn?"_

"_My tutors want me to read more books!"_

"_Why does that upset you so?"_

"_The books they give me to read are all about proper behaviour for noble ladies. They're so borrring!"_

"_What sort of books would you like to read then?"_

"_Books like they give my brother to read! Books that are about battles and heroes slaying horrible monsters!"_

"_Mm…I think there are some books like that presently on these shelves. Would you like me to get you one so you can read it right now Lady Eowyn?"_

"_Oh yes please Master Grima!"_

Eowyn's tutors got wind of this incident and reported it to the King. Theoden replied to the tutors that, unlike them, this 'Grima son of Galmod' had been able to ignite both Eowyn's desire to improve her reading skills as well as to learn more about the deeds of her forebears. Theoden then organised to have a private audience with the man capable of such original thinking. It was from this audience that led to Theoden eventually appointing Grima as his Chief Counsellor.

Eowyn couldn't fathom how the man who showed her this simple kindness when she was a child became so horribly corrupted. A major reason Eowyn was still angry at Grima was because she believed that one of his greatest betrayals was against the good and caring man he once was. Eowyn had to put aside the ambivalence she felt about Grima as more important matters currently needed her attention.

Theoden had ordered that feast be held for all of Edoras within the Golden Hall a few days hence. Its main purpose was to more formally remember all those who had given their lives in Rohan's recent war with Isengard. But it was also meant to raise Rohirric spirits in acknowledging that their country's victory over Saruman was as great as any victory in its history. As Rohan's ranking lady Eowyn was placed in charge of organising it. Even to her own relief, this didn't mean Eowyn was in charge of cooking it.

She was discussing the feast's preparations in the Golden Hall's kitchen with half a dozen maids about her age or younger. It was mid-morning the day after Theoden's company had returned to Edoras. Their discussions were interrupted by a polite cough at the kitchen doorway.

It was Rogers. He was again wearing a simple white cotton shirt and brown pair of breeches while his normal uniform was being washed.

"Good morning Eowyn…and ladies." Rogers was thrown by the quick curtesy the maids gave him in response before offering "I can come back if I'm interrupting something important."

"Your presence is no interruption at all Steve." Eowyn assured him. "How can we be of service to you?"

Given the maids presence, Rogers had secretly hoped Eowyn would've asked him to come back later. He cautiously entered the kitchen before standing an arms-length distance from Eowyn and the maids.

"Well…um…I have something to give you." Rogers stammered out before quickly passing a leather scroll case to Eowyn.

Eowyn opened the case and unfurled the piece of parchment that it contained. She and the maids let out a quiet gasp at what was on the parchment.

Rogers had sketched a detailed charcoal portrait of Eowyn leading her horse with Gimli riding atop it. It was from his memory of travelling alongside the pair as part of the column from Edoras to Helm's Deep.

"It's beautiful milady!" one of the maids cooed.

"Steve I'm greatly honoured by your gift." Eowyn thanked him before looking up from the parchment "I didn't know you were so skilled an artist!"

"Oh well prior to enlisting in the army I was studying fine arts." Rogers modestly advised.

Eowyn sensed that Rogers wanted to say something else. But he appeared hesitant to speak it while being subjected to the maids' adoring gazes. Captain America maybe fearless when facing hordes of countless orcs but he seemed to have an endearing shyness around young women in a social setting.

With Isengard defeated, it was no surprise what was now the most popular topic of gossip among the young maidens of Edoras. It was the fact the Fellowship contained four particularly handsome Men in the form of Aragorn, Boromir, Rogers and Thor (like the vast majority of Rohirrim, its young maidens were ignorant about Thor's correct racial identity). Of especial interest was that the four of them were seemingly unmarried. Eowyn quickly stopped these thoughts before they led to her pondering about her own feelings towards Aragorn.

Eowyn began to relieve Rogers of a 'siege' he probably found more terrifying than Helm's Deep by ordering the six maids "Thank you ladies. Could all of you please go to the storerooms and see how much of what we need for the feast is currently at hand?"

The six maids curtsied and with a degree of private reluctance exited the kitchen. As Eowyn rolled the parchment back up before placing it in its case she asked Rogers "I'm sorry Steve but is there something you need to specifically ask of me?"

After taking a deep breath Rogers said "Yes Eowyn. I'd like to propose to you – _err_ - I mean I have a proposition to put to you!"

Eowyn bit her lip not to laugh at Rogers' faux pas. She dreaded to think how the maids would've reacted if they heard it and how much Rogers would've been embarrassed in response.

The Shield-maiden was surprised, humbled and touched by what Rogers proposed to her. Especially when he said it was something he had wanted to do with Eowyn ever since they first conversed in the Golden Hall.

"I'm delighted to accept your proposition Steve." Eowyn happily responded. "My heart rejoices that you think so highly of me as I do of you."

Eowyn lowered her voice before speaking to Rogers in a conspiratorial manner.

"Meet me at dawn by the Royal Stables. Given what we plan to do, we best not run the risk of being caught doing it in Edoras…"

* * *

One thing the maids found the feast wouldn't have enough of was game meat. A couple of days later Eomer led a hunting party of twenty to solve this problem. Aragorn, Legolas and Thor were members of this party.

Rohan's plains were roamed by several species of boar that Rohan's nobility and commoners had hunted ever since the country's foundation. The hunting party was satisfied that in the space of a morning they had killed six adult males from some of the larger species. Thor had killed one by thrusting a hunting spear into it while riding Graegwind. Eomer and the three Fellowship members stood talking while the majority of the hunting party prepared the game to be carried back to Edoras.

"I must say Thor your skill with a spear is the equal of yours with a war hammer!" Aragorn complimented the Avenger.

Thor acknowledged Aragorn's compliment with a nod before responding "I suspect like the three of you I was trained to use a variety of weapons from a very young age."

Legolas privately mused 'very young age' had different connotations to Thor and he compared to the two Men they were conversing with.

"Gimli talked about giving you a handicap for the next round of our competition." Legolas remarked before mischievously suggesting Thor "Perhaps that handicap should be you having to use another weapon other than your hammer?"

Knowing that Legolas wasn't being serious Thor similarly replied "If Gimli and yourself think you can win by forcing me to use a weapon other than Mjolnir the pair of you are, as they say on Midgard, 'dreaming'."

As the four shared a light chuckle they noticed their horses shifting and snorting nervously. The servants that held their reins struggled to soothe the horses' anxiety.

"Do wargs approach?" Thor asked while withdrawing Mjolnir off his belt.

"I think not." Eomer warily commented. "There are too many skilled hunters and trackers in this party for wargs to take it unawares."

All of a sudden the party was deafened from above a loud, bone-chilling screech.

Sauron had wondered why Saruman hadn't been in contact with him through the palantir over the last few days. He dispatched the closest Nazgul in the area to investigate the matter. After their defeat at the Ford of the Bruinen, Sauron had created new mounts for his Ringwraiths to better terrorise Middle-earth with. The mounts were winged monsters representing an unholy mixture of dragon and serpent. They were simply known as 'Fell-Beasts'. They were dead grey in colour and had a row of venomous spines running down their backs. They were some one hundred feet in length and their pair of bat-like wings spanned an even greater length.

Earlier that day the Nazgul observed from the sky above that the Orthanc had been completely flooded and overrun by the Ents. Further he had seen no sign of Saruman's forces or their master. The Nazgul then flew over Rohan to ascertain if the horse-lords had scored an improbable victory over the White Hand.

One of the collective nouns the Rohirrim used in describing the Nazgul was 'The Dwimmerlaik' meaning 'work of necromancy' or 'spectre' in the old Riddermark tongue. The Dwimmerlaik had been feared throughout Rohan's history because of the countless number of Rohirrim that had perished at their hands. The Rohirrim had linked the term 'spectre' to the Nazgul because, aside from their hooded black cloaks, they often appeared out of nowhere like a ghost before claiming the life of an unfortunate victim.

This particular Nazgul thought Eomer's hunting party would be added to this list when he spotted it from above. Demonstrating an understanding of aerial combat tactics that would have impressed Rogers, the Nazgul swooped down on the party with the sun at his back to blind the party to his approach. Such a tactic would have had deadly consequences if the party were solely comprised of Men.

Despite having the sun in his eyes, Legolas loosed an arrow into the fell-beast's belly that caused it to veer slightly upwards just before it struck the members of the party. Hovering just above the ground, the Nazgul mentally commanded his fell-beast to pick up in its talon the party member that stood out the most to him. It was the man who wore the red cloak.

Sauron had sensed the vortex open when it brought the three Avengers to Middle-earth. But because Nazgul hadn't recovered from their defeat at the Ford, he couldn't dispatch them to investigate it at the time. His first knowledge of the Avengers was via Saruman who told him of three 'different' men now aiding the Free Peoples. However, Saruman assured Sauron that the trio was no threat to their plans and that he would 'personally take care of them'. It was fortunate for Saruman that he was already dead. If not, he would have faced Sauron's full wrath for deliberately understating the threat the Avengers posed to the Dark Lord.

After his initial shock had passed, Thor recovered his wits to see he was being snatched through the air by a beast resembling a black dragon. The fell-beast ineffectively tried to crush Thor within its talon. Mjolnir pulsated with a metallic hum before Thor launched into action.

The Nazgul was surprised that his mount had been unable to crush the man in its talon. He commanded it to ascend so it would drop the man to his death from a higher altitude. The Nazgul was even more surprised when Mjolnir suddenly burst up through his fell-beast's skull just as Thor had willed it. The Nazgul joined Thor in tumbling downward from the sky. Before hitting the ground, Thor had just enough time to think that at least he wasn't falling down from the same height that Loki had dropped him from the SHIELD Heli-Carrier.

The Nazgul was thrown from his now dead mount when it crashed into the surface. The Nazgul and Thor stood back up at about the same time as each other. The pair may have landed more than two hundred yards away from Eomer's hunting party but they were only within five yards of each other. The Nazgul wondered why the red cloaked man didn't seem to be affected by the aura of fear that all Ringwraiths passively generated.

"I will make you curse your fortune in slaying my mount and surviving your fall Man!" he arrogantly taunted Thor.

Thor simply stuck his right arm sideward and Mjolnir flew back into his outstretched hand in an instant. The Nazgul sneered at this display of power.

"A simple parlour trick will not save you fool!"

Rogers saw glimpses of the Nazgul and their fell-beasts when he glimpsed into the Mirror of Galadriel. But this was the first time that one of the three Avengers who had come to Middle-earth had directly confronted a Nazgul. The original Fellowship had given the trio descriptions of Sauron's most feared servants and what was known of their powers and abilities.

"Listen well to me 'wraith'." Thor coolly told the Nazgul in front of him. "Repeat this advice to your master about attacking me and my friends with one of his cloaked puppets."

Thor held Mjolnir aloft and drew a powerful lightning bolt into its head. He quickly pointed his weapon and directed the full force of the lightning into the Nazgul. The Nazgul released an ear-piercing screech as he absorbed the huge quantity of energy that Thor directed at him. His black robe ignited into an inferno before a defeated shell of his spirit fled back towards Mordor. All that was left of the Nazgul from Thor's attack was its discarded robe that now lay flat on the ground in flames.

Thor nonchalantly spoke his advice to the Nazgul's burning remains.

"Next!"

* * *

**A little bit of everything this chapter. After all they've recently been through I thought the Fellowship and their Rohirrim friends deserved a bit of light relief. Of course the Nazgul's attack on Thor quickly brought that to an end. But I promise readers the planned feast shall still be going ahead.**

'**Pryte' means 'haughtiness' in Old English. I thought it an appropriate choice of name for the character.**


	29. Much Food for Thought

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

14/05/2013

Because this story is predominantly based on movieverse, Thor's use of Mjolnir in this story is based on his two film appearances and his entry in the Marvel Movie Wiki. His attack against the Nazgul was inspired by the scene in _The Avengers_ when he attacks Iron Man in a similar fashion. At this stage of the story, I don't think a Nazgul would find its 'power' quadrupled by such an attack.

**Ivanjedi:** This story would become very boring should the Avengers begin to easily sweep aside all of Sauron's forces. I agree with the view that a protagonist in a story is only as interesting as the antagonist they face.

**Dan man:** Where this story fits into the canonical sequence of Avengers movies will be revealed at its end.

**WolfishPennings**: One thing that Rogers will appreciate about Middle-earth is that it doesn't have trashy tabloid media focused on the private lives of celebrities. Otherwise all Arda would currently be bombarded with headlines like _'UNSHIELDED! CAP A & ROHAN ROYAL'S SECRET DAWN FLINGS!'_

* * *

**Chapter 29 – Much Food for Thought**

Eomer's hunting party returned to Edoras later that afternoon. Eomer, Theoden and Gamling discussed the unsettling incident of the Nazgul's attack with the Fellowship with the exception of Banner, Merry and Pippin.

Banner was caught up at the infirmary treating patients. Indicating his growing skills of manipulation, earlier in the day Pippin perfectly played the role of the 'naïve hobbit far from home' to the kitchen staff of the Golden Hall. His performance convinced the staff to make Merry and he taste testers of the food being prepared for tomorrow's feast. Even without this 'important duty' the pair of them wouldn't really have wanted to be part of this discussion. Since joining Frodo and Sam on their quest, Merry and Pippin had talked and faced the Black Riders already too often for their liking.

The discussion about the Nazgul's attack was being held in the Royal Stables. The stables were absent of anyone else besides the participants in the discussion. It was thought the stables would be better to keep secret their deliberations least Sauron have in his employ spies within the Golden Hall like Saruman had with Grima.

After Eomer, Thor, Aragorn and Legolas had delivered their report it was Rogers who was the first to speak.

"Well Gandalf what's your initial reaction to all this?" he asked the wisest member of this group. _And pretty much any group_ Rogers thought.

"Two things come to mind Steve." Gandalf commenced. "First, it is more than safe to assume that Sauron will now be aware of Saruman's defeat. Rohan and Gondor shall not be caught in a vice as the Dark Lord first planned. Before I speak of the second no one should interpret it as a criticism of Thor's actions."

After Thor gave him a small nod of appreciation for this, Gandalf continued his analysis.

"Over the last two ages of Middle-earth only a handful can claim to have defeated one of the Nine in open combat. Sooner or later Sauron will know that this handful has now grown by one in number. More worryingly he'll know the manner in how Thor achieved this feat."

"Then it's the Enemy who should be worried not us!" Gimli asserted with barely restrained boisterousness. He took immense pride that he was a good friend of the latest member of this exclusive club. "May Odinson's victory be the first of many worries our three Avengers cause him!"

Gandalf gave a restrained sigh before tersely responding.

"Unfortunately Gimli it's not just Thor and Bruce who are continuing to grow in power! Sauron's power grows with every step the Ring-bearer draws closer to Mordor. With his increasing power, the Dark Lord will use all his cunning and sorcery to prevent any of the Nine being defeated in similar fashion by Thor in the future!"

Gimli sobered at these words and joined everyone else in considering their implications. Gandalf articulated the implications for them.

"We are witness to two races my lords. The first is between the Avengers and Sauron about who grows in power the quickest. Even if the Avengers were to win this race I sense it will be for nothing if Sauron wins the second race. Namely the Dark Lord retakes back what is his before the Ring-bearer completes his task in destroying it!"

"Yet the only way for the Ring to be destroyed means we increase Sauron's chances of winning the first race." Boromir bitterly concluded. Boromir's epiphany at Amon Hen meant he no longer had the tinniest doubt the Ring had to be destroyed. But he understood why his father would think a strategy based on destroying the Ring to be madness.

"If these are races Mithrandir we compete against ourselves as much as the Dark Lord." Legolas philosophised before giving a performance metaphor of his own. "If such a situation was performed in a play, the drama presented would be classified as 'tragedy'".

A silence reigned over the group following Legolas' bleak assessment of the situation. Aragorn broke it by asking Theoden a question.

"Milord in light of this event do you wish for tomorrow's feast to be cancelled?" Aragorn thought the Nazgul's appearance would bring back the general sense of dread that pervaded Edoras over a week ago.

Theoden shook his head in the negative before advising his decision.

"This Dwimmerlaik's appearance will be disturbing news to my people and their spirits will now need lifting more than ever. The feast will help do this alongside its original purpose of honouring the fallen."

At Theoden's decision the group ended their discussion and headed to the Main Doors of the stable. At a knock from Theoden, the doors were pulled open by the guards outside them. The participants to the recent discussion were startled by what they saw. A large crowd of Edoras residents had gathered in front of the stables. As expected, the news of Thor's defeat of a Nazgul quickly spread all over Edoras as soon as Eomer's party had returned. The crowd started loudly murmuring when they all caught sight of the Asgardian. Theoden assumed his people wanted their King to speak some words of reassurance. But before he could speak an unidentified man in the crowd released a loud cry.

"_Hail Prince Thor! Slayer of the Dwimmerlaik!"_

The crowd burst out into cheers and applause for the Avenger who achieved this deed. Thor acknowledged the crowd's appreciation by holding Mjolnir aloft at an angle with his right hand. The noise of the crowd grew louder at this.

Thor remembered the cheers an infinitely larger crowd in Odin's Main Hall gave him for this gesture on the day he was supposed to be crowned King of Asgard. The response of the current crowd moved him more than that one. That was because on Asgard, he selfishly wanted applause from the citizens of the most powerful of the Nine Realms to gratify his colossal ego. In Edoras, he was humbly accepting the thanks of a desperate people who were facing an enemy infinitely more powerful than they.

The other Fellowship members had taken to standing just behind Thor. Rogers had also picked up on the subtext of the crowd's behaviour. He gave the following observation to those Fellowship members.

"Gentlemen, in our discussion we missed the most important point of Thor's victory. It's a symbol to all the Free Peoples like the victory at Helm's Deep. It shows them that even the greatest of evil can be confronted and beaten!"

* * *

The feast was held the following evening as planned. It seemed all of Edoras had come for the occasion. The Fellowship members spread themselves out among the Rohirrim sitting at the large number of table benches that had been laid out in the Main Hall of the Meduseld. Rogers had held off wearing his uniform again until this occasion.

Formalities began the feast's proceedings. Wearing a golden circlet indicating her status as Rohan's leading lady; Eowyn presented a goblet of wine to Theoden who stood on the throne dais with Eomer to his left. Eowyn moved besides Theoden's right after he had taken the goblet from her. The King raised the goblet towards the currently silent guests before him as he proposed a toast.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!_"_

Sitting at separate tables, both Aragorn and Rogers restrained themselves from joining in the solemn "Hail" the guests gave in joining Theoden's toast. They considered the poignancy of death in relation to the defenders that had been killed under their respective commands at Helm's Deep. Rogers was still upset at the number of Howling Commandos that had fallen. Aragorn was saddened that the fallen Galadhrim wouldn't now be part of their kin's journey to the Undying Lands.

After a moment had passed Theoden then spoke further.

"I have less sad news but sad nonetheless. This morning Chief Healer Pryte advised me that he was taking immediate retirement from his position at the infirmary."

The outbreak of murmuring within the Golden Hall to this announcement indicated to Rogers that this development was much unexpected by the residents of Edoras.

After the guests had quietened from their initial surprise, Theoden continued.

"I can pay no greater tribute to the Chief Healer than to tell you what else he gave me in addition to his letter of retirement. He gave his personal endorsement of a list of recommendations aimed at improving infirmary practice despite not being the author of them. The Chief Healer told me he welcomes any recommendations, regardless of their source, that improve the care of the wounded at the infirmary."

Sitting at his place in the Main Hall, Pryte gave a forced smile to Theoden's tribute as well in response to the puzzled looks he was receiving from a great number of guests. It was technically correct he was retiring from his post as Chief Healer. But the real truth was he had been forced to resign by that accursed Doctor Bruce Banner.

Pryte's panicked response to Hulk's earlier 'advice' had effectively made Banner Co-Chief Healer at the infirmary. Nearly all the other healers now chose to report to Banner instead of him. After overcoming their initial (and understandable) wariness of the man, they found Banner always gave them polite instruction, helpful advice and actually listened to their opinions. It was a breath of fresh air having a supervisor who treated them as medical professionals rather than impudent servants. But this was not the cause of Pryte's downfall. It was Banner's genius in mathematics combined with the financial analysis skills that Pepper Potts had taught him (Stark's eyes usually glazed over at the very mention of the word 'accounting').

Banner went through the infirmary's ledger and noticed it contained several discrepancies. After quietly consulting with Aragorn and Gamling, Banner quickly found the reason why. Over the last few years Pryte had been buying cheaper and less effective versions of the medicines he was supposed to get for the infirmary. He was then personally pocketing the difference under the seemingly innocuous ledger entry of 'Purchase and Contract Administration Expenses.' Gamling chocked with rage that Pryte unofficially earned double what his deceased friend Hama did as Captain of the Royal Guard over the same period! However, the confidence the Eorlingas had in their Government was currently fragile at best. This confidence wouldn't be improved if the Riddermark was told that its Chief Healer was a shameless embezzler.

Banner didn't even have to channel the Other Guy to frighten Pryte when the trio of investigators confronted him today dawn. Only by immediately 'retiring' could Pryte avoid having their evidence brought before the King as well as being subjected to criminal prosecution. Pryte would also have to give his written endorsement of reforms to the infirmary that Banner had drawn up for Theoden's approval. Banner gave Pryte a final warning as well.

"_Think of this arrangement like tonight's feast Pryte. A few days ago you got an appetizer of what I call my 'party trick'. Even __think__ of double-crossing the three of us on this and I'll serve you the full course meal instead!"_

_Aragorn dryly added "I can personally vouch that the meal Bruce speaks of would be unappetizing even for a horde of hungry mountain trolls!"_

While raising his cup of wine to the toast Theoden gave in honour of Pryte, Banner reflected that a truism was common to both Earth and Middle-earth. Namely if you have someone by the balls their heart and mind will soon follow.

* * *

The sit down meal of the feast was a great success. Rogers thought Eowyn showed a talent for logistics in organising it. The wild boar meat was especially enjoyed seeing the hunt it came from also saw the destruction of a Nazgul. Even the Fellowship members with the four biggest appetites – Thor, Gimli, Merry and Pippin – all seemed to have satisfied with their fill.

Celebratory music performed by minstrels playing pipes, drums and lutes filled the Golden Hall as guests more freely intermingled. Rogers and Boromir had sat next to each other during the meal but the latter was now in conversation with Gamling at another table-bench. Rogers simply took in the sights and sounds of the proceedings sitting with his back to the table.

Rogers greatly appreciated his recent time alone with Eowyn over the last few days. His interest was perked then when he noticed a few yards away Eowyn coyly presenting Aragorn a goblet of wine to drink. Rogers' observations were interrupted by a voice to his right.

"Do you mind if I join you Steve?" Theoden asked him.

"Yes…of course…Your Majesty." A slightly thrown Rogers replied.

"This is now a completely informal occasion Steve." Theoden said as he sat beside Rogers. Without the slightest trace of irony he advised the Avenger "You can simply call me 'Sir'".

Rogers had to not laugh that Theoden was seemingly unaware of his contradictory remarks. Given that Theoden was normally addressed as 'King', 'Milord' or 'Your Majesty' Rogers guessed that 'Sir' was as informal as anyone outside his family was allowed to call him.

"I wanted to privately tell you that I intend to formally recognise the actions of Thor and yourself at Helm's Deep." Theoden told him. "As far as I'm concerned those actions were the equal of any heroic deed recorded in the history of Middle-earth."

"But they were no more heroic than the actions of all the defenders that night sir." Rogers modestly responded. "Both of us deserve no more recognition than they do."

There was a twinkle in Theoden's eye when he advised "You misunderstand me Steve if you believe this is a subject for debate. As Lord of the Mark I've already made my decision on the matter. I was merely letting you know about it!"

Rogers then said "Well in that case sir I should instead ask you not to spoil the surprise!"

After sharing a quick laugh with Rogers, Theoden agreed "That is something I can grant you! And the recognition I have planned is the least I can do for you both." Theoden then sobered and Rogers noticed the guilty look that he now possessed. The King absently stared out at the festivities before quietly observing "Especially because it wasn't Theoden who lead his people to victory at Helm's Deep."

"Sir, don't let Saruman have a final win by letting his words get to you!" an appalled Rogers urged Theoden. "What he said about you couldn't have been more untrue!"

Looking back at Rogers, Theoden replied "I thank you for your kind words Steve. As well as those you spoke in my defence at the Orthanc. But I also remember my words and decisions at Helm's Deep. I understand you were most displeased with my decision to recruit young boys to be part of its defence."

Rogers was surprised that this opinion of his had somehow leaked out to the King. Still, he wasn't going to lie for those poor kids even if meant hurting their King's feelings.

"I make no apologies for that sir." Rogers stated politely.

"And I do not seek any from you." Theoden plainly stated. "You are correct in assuming such a decision to be unworthy of a King of Rohan. Even under the circumstances we were faced with."

"I can't ever see myself apologising to you or anyone about my feelings on those boys sir." Rogers began. "But I do owe you an apology for something else."

"Given all you've done for me and my people what could you possibly have to apologise to me about Steve?" a genuinely confused Theoden asked.

"At Helm's Deep, I forgot what you'd been through in the days leading up to the battle." Rogers began explaining. "That includes the trauma of Saruman's spell; the betrayal of your chief advisor; and of course what happened to your son. You had to deal with all those things while trying to protect and defend your people from what I understand to be the most powerful attack ever made against Rohan.

"I'm not royalty like you sir. But they don't call military leadership the 'burden of command' for nothing. You may be King of Rohan but you're a man as well. And unlike a lot of your people, I'm sorry for not being more understanding at the time.

"Even if that means nothing to you please believe this. Gandalf said on the way to Isengard the Battle of Helm's Deep is over but the Battle for Middle-earth is about to begin. Your people will still be looking to you to lead them to victory against - impossible as it seems to believe - a more dangerous foe."

Theoden stared at Rogers as he took in his words. On the ride from Edoras to Helm's Deep, Boromir relayed to Theoden what Rogers had told him about Project Rebirth. The serum Rogers received as part of it not only enhanced his physique and mind but also his personality traits. Theoden reflected that Earth was fortunate that a man of such unquestionable character had been the sole recipient of the serum before its knowledge was lost. The consequences of an evil man possessing such physical and mental power were too disturbing to contemplate.

"What you speak of requires no apology on your part Steve." Theoden gently assured him. "If anything you have spoken more words that require gratitude on my part."

Inwardly Rogers was relieved to hear the resolution behind the declaration Theoden then gave him.

"History will not state that Theoden lead Rohan to victory at Helm's Deep. But I'll not be ashamed when it states that I just had the honour of fighting alongside the two Avengers who did!"

* * *

The next round of the ongoing competition between Gimli, Legolas and Thor was about to begin. The good news was that this round didn't require thousands of savage orcs intent on slaughter before commencing.

The trio stood around a small table that had mugs of ale stacked as three pyramids equal in number. A crowd of adult male Rohirrim surrounded the trio along with Eomer who was the 'judge' for this round of the competition.

"Well Odinson," Gimli proclaimed to Thor "we still haven't found a coat of mithril rings to test your hammer on. But now you can prove if you're able to meet the second of my challenges we spoke of in Moria!"

"So…it's a drinking game?" Legolas pensively asked while looking at the ale stacked in front of him as if it were bitter tasting medicine.

"Aye!" the Rohirrim around him confirmed while slightly amused at the immortal elven prince's apparent naivety.

"What are the rules of this game then?" the other immortal among the competitors enquired.

"They are very simple ones Thor." Eomer explained to him. "No pauses, no spills and no regurgitation."

Gimli pointed a finger while mock threatening Thor "And no use of godly powers!"

"Not that I'll need them to be victor of this battle Gimli!" Thor confidently predicted.

"Before the three of you start I almost forgot!" Eomer remembered. "Bruce declined but would your other Avenger like to be part of this Thor?"

Earlier Banner had politely turned down Eomer's offer to join in the game. He told Eomer that it wasn't really his type of thing and he'd still pass even if it were. Banner used an idiom describing intoxication that Eomer had never heard of.

"_I'm still suffering some residual effects from that vortex I spoke about over dinner at Helm's Deep. If I joined in the competition, the phrase 'Everyone getting totally smashed' could take on a whole different complexion!"_

"Rogers once told me he doesn't get drunk." Thor ruled out Captain America from this game.

"That's not surprising." The Third Marshal remarked before observing, "He appears to be a man of great temperance."

"That's true Eomer but that is not what I meant." Thor clarified with a smirk. "Because of his physiology Rogers cannot get drunk!"

The drinking game began in earnest. Of the three competitors Thor finished his first mug of ale the quickest.

"This ale," he remarked impressed to the crowd around him "I like it."

The crowd flinched when Thor suddenly and violently threw the empty mug to the floor.

"_Another!_" Thor bellowed to them.

The crowd roared their approval of Thor's sentiment as he began downing his second ale. Thor thought that at least the Rohirrim knew the appropriate gesture of appreciation for a good drink.

* * *

Banner got up from where he was sitting to check on the welfare of Merry and Pippin. He quickly was able to track them down by following the sound of their voices that carried through the Golden Hall. They were singing with gusto what sounded like a drinking song. Banner found the pair dancing atop a table-bench while they sang surrounded by an admiring throng of Rohirrim. After Merry and Pippin finished their slightly off-key duet they each downed a large mug of ale. Because of the appreciative cheers and applause the Rohirrim gave to the song, the cousins decided to give an encore performance.

Banner was glad to see his two friends back to their cheerful selves he remembered from the first time he met them. Banner walked over to Gandalf and Aragorn who were also observing Merry and Pippin. The former pair had just finished a conversation by the time Banner joined them. He asked them about the lyrics of Merry and Pippin's song.

"I take by 'Green Dragon' Merry and Pippin don't mean a large lizard that breathes beer instead of fire?" Banner questioned with polite sarcasm.

"Indeed not Bruce!" Gandalf answered with a knowing chuckle. "The Green Dragon is arguably the most famous drinking establishment in the whole Shire. Hobbit families have been its patrons for many generations."

Banner noted this before observing "I guess Merry and Pippin are just homesick like a lot of us."

Both Gandalf and Aragorn looked at Banner after picking up the sub-text of what he just said.

"Bruce if a way opened for the three of you to go back to your homes none of us would object or dissuade you from taking it!" Aragorn assured him. "Even if that way opened prior to Sauron's defeat."

"Yes." Gandalf simply agreed. "Despite not being of Middle-earth the three of you still volunteered to fight against the darkness that threatens it. The deeds the three have performed have been a great and unexpected aid for us. The Free Peoples have no right to ask any more of you Avengers."

"Thanks." Banner humbly replied before explaining further. "When we had lunch at the Orthanc, Steve told me about what happened at Helm's Deep. Just when the fight started he said to Boromir 'We're in it now'. I think that's pretty much how the three of us now feel about the Battle for Middle-earth.

"After all we've learned and been through in Middle-earth, I don't think any of us could just walk away from it with its future in the balance. If we did, we'd always feel that somehow we just abandoned the Free Peoples to their fate. Especially the people the three of us have come to see as good friends."

Aragorn and Gandalf accepted Banner's compliment and remarks with a gentle smile and nod. Banner sought to lighten the mood as this feast was supposed to be a party of sorts.

"So is the beer at The Green Dragon as good as what Merry and Pippin sing about it?"

"I must say Bruce, in my years that ale is the finest I have tasted in all Eriador." Gandalf stated.

"I would dispute that Gandalf." Aragorn politely argued. "I would award that title to the ale that Barliman Butterbur serves at The Prancing Pony in Bree."

"I guess every Middle-earth bar or inn is also its own brewery?" Banner asked.

"Very much so." Gandalf answered. "There are countless such establishments across the realms of men, hobbits and dwarves. Nearly each them brews their own special ale claiming it to be the best in Middle-earth!"

Banner considered this before saying, "It's probably a good thing that Thor isn't part of this conversation."

Both Gandalf and Aragorn were puzzled by this remark.

"Why is that Bruce?" Aragorn queried.

A loud thud reverberated across the Golden Hall. The sound was from Gimli collapsing backwards onto the floor in a drunken stupor. The first competitor in the drinking game had been eliminated.

Banner advised with a smile, "He'd probably want to take Legolas and Gimli with him on a special trip that on Earth is known as a 'pub crawl'!"

* * *

It was a few hours after the feast had finally wound up. Those guests that hadn't returned to their homes were dozing within the Main Hall of the Meduseld on whatever floorspace they could grab. Fortunately there were plenty of blankets and pillows to grow around to make their rest comfortable. Aragorn was presently not one of the guests that were slumbering.

The Ranger quietly made his way over the sleeping party guests before going outside the Main Hall for some fresh air. As he walked out onto the front porch of the Meduseld he took in the crisp and still night air. He noticed to his left Thor and Legolas with their backs turned to him in quiet conversation. The latter stood to the former's right with his cloak's hood drawn over his head. Aragorn moved to be at Thor's left.

"Who was the winner of your drinking game?" Aragorn asked the Fellowship's two princes.

"Eomer declared it a draw after we each consumed our third and score ale." Thor told him.

"Yes." Legolas agreed with a twinkle in his eye. "He said he didn't want the winner determined if it meant the pair of us would drink Rohan dry of ale!"

As he shared a laugh with the pair, Aragorn privately doubted that the winner wouldn't even be determined if the pair went on that 'pub crawl' of Middle-earth that Banner spoke of earlier.

"The rest of our Fellowship in Edoras is currently asleep in the Golden Hall?" Thor inquired of Aragorn.

"Yes but with the exception of your fellow Avengers." Aragorn advised. "Bruce said there were some wounded he wanted to keep an eye on overnight. So he currently rests at the infirmary.

"As Steve is one of the few men-at-arms present who is completely sober, he volunteered to help with sentry duty for tonight's watch."

There was a pause as the three Fellowship members focused on the night sky above them. Thor was the first to break it.

"Legolas and I came out here so our conversation didn't disturb those sleeping inside. We had hoped to see if any constellations are common among the night skies of Asgard and Middle-earth. But tonight's cloud cover makes it difficult for us to determine."

Legolas was seemingly in a trance as he spoke in response.

"The stars are veiled. Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice." Legolas returned the gazes his two companions before advising them "The Eye of the Enemy is moving."

If he knew about it, Thor would have agreed with Rogers' observation of Legolas being an enigmatic early warning radar. The way Legolas spoke at times reminded Thor of a seer delivering a prophecy rather than a scout reporting their gathered intelligence. There was no mystery behind what Legolas next said.

"He is here!" Legolas exclaimed with wide-eyed alarm.

Legolas bolted towards the inside of the Main Hall with Aragorn and Thor quickly following. There was no doubt in Thor's mind that by 'He' Legolas was referring to Sauron. Surely the Dark Lord didn't have something like the Bifrost that allowed him to just teleport from Mordor to within the confines of the Golden Hall? Thor cursed himself when he realised he had left Mjolnir in his guest room. Not that it really mattered. Thor could simply summon it into his waiting hand if Sauron was indeed personally present. Thor figured Theoden wouldn't be too upset with the damage to the Golden Hall's wooden walls from Mjolnir's flight if the Avenger used it to defeat Sauron.

When the trio burst into the room where Legolas said Sauron could be found. The Dark Lord was indeed present but not in person. They joined Merry, Gandalf, Boromir and everyone else that had been sleeping in the room look on in horror at the proceedings before them. Pippin was on his knees firmly holding the palantir that had been recovered after Saruman had been killed. The palantir had an angry orange-red glow and Pippin's eyes were firmly clasped while releasing a silent scream of agony as he held it.

Thor was the quickest to Pippin's rescue. In the blink of an eye he was at Pippin's side and effortlessly pulled the palantir out of the Took's grasp. Thor's vision was completely drawn into the Palantir. The Asgardian could see nothing else but the Eye of Sauron just like Rogers had perceived it in Galadriel's Mirror. Rogers had a vision of the Eye whereas Thor now had its gaze directly focused on him.

Besides the Nazgul he sent to Isengard, Sauron had also been using his palantir to determine the current situation in Rohan. Sauron saw through his palantir when Thor defeated the Nazgul at the time. The flames around his Eye burned more intensely when he now saw who was using Saruman's palantir.

Thor wanted to release his grip on the palantir but somehow he found himself unable avert his gaze from the Eye. Sauron's evil and angry voice loudly echoed within Thor's mind.

"_YOU DARE CHOOSE TO MOCK ME YOU VAIN AND FOOLISH BOY?!_ _YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN COMMAND THE ELEMENTS. THE FREE PEOPLES SHALL CURSE YOU FOR THE STORM YOUR ACTIONS HAVE UNLEASHED!"_

Aragorn and Legolas had been futilely trying to pry the palantir from Thor's powerful grip while this was happening. They were thrown loose by Thor when he violently threw down the palantir with an angry and fearful scream of rage. The palantir shattered into countless tiny pieces as soon as it hit the floor.

Pippin lay on the floor frozen and in shock. Thor would also have if not for his Asgardian constitution. However, Thor had to steady himself with his hands on his knees as he sweated and gasped from his encounter with the Dark Lord. Aragorn and Legolas pulled themselves off the floor to steady Thor.

"I'm alright." Thor told them between gasps. "I suffer no physical hurt."

Aragorn ignored Thor's assurance. Thor didn't even once look this pale and exhausted during the Battle of Helm's Deep. He may not be suffering physical injury but the Avenger was clearly shaken from his encounter with Sauron. In the race Gandalf spoke of, Sauron at least had to be equal to the Avengers in returning to full power.

Relieved that Thor didn't need his attention, Gandalf knelt next to Pippin's prone form. He gently touched Pippin's forehead and chanted something under his breath. Pippin reacted to this like someone suddenly waking from a terrible nightmare.

"I saw…I saw him Gandalf!" Pippin panted in relation to Sauron. "I heard his voice in my head."

Thor had heard Dark Lord's voice in this manner as well. He couldn't imagine how horrifying this would have been for a gentle-hearted hobbit like Pippin.

"And what did you tell him?" Gandalf demanded to know from the hobbit. "Speak!"

Gandalf remembered when he spoke like this to Sam when he caught him eavesdropping on the conversation he was having with Frodo at Bag End. The situation with the One Ring was now far graver to make light of it by promising not to turn Pippin into anything unnatural.

"He asked me my name." Pippin replied. "I didn't answer." Pippin's lip began to quiver as he then advised of Sauron "He hurt me…"

_For your sake Sauron you'd best never confront me if I'm carrying Mjolnir!_ Thor angrily thought in response to Sauron's malicious bullying of Pippin.

Gandalf was sympathetic to Pippin but he needed him to speak on the most important issue at stake in all this.

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?" he asked Pippin.

"Nothing!" Pippin stated while vigorously shaking his head. After his head stilled Pippin then revealed "But…"

"_But what?!_" Gandalf enquired desperately.

Swallowing a lump, Pippin revealed "I saw a city that was burning. And there was a white tree. In a courtyard of store. It was dead."

Boromir's eyes widened in terror now the objective of Sauron's next assault had been revealed.

"Minas Tirith!" he whispered in alarm.

* * *

**I suspect a lot of readers were more expectantly waiting for Thor to say 'Another!" than the role of the three Avengers in the canonical clashes so far told in this story.**

**I changed the order from the film of what Pippin divulged from his encounter with Sauron to help make this story flow better.**

**Readers would be safe in assuming the break is well and truly over for the three Avengers and their friends.**


	30. Separations

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

20/05/2013

A lot of reviewer speculation about the Fellowship going separate ways again. Things will be a bit clearer on that topic by the end of this chapter.

Thanks for the reviews from younger readers of this story. Especially from those of you that have English as a second language.

**Quirky:** The role of the Army of the Dead in the film trilogy is one of its hugest points of contention. Even by PJ himself. I suspect the role I have planned for the Oathbreakers in this story is not likely to resolve this debate.

**MasterXMaster:** You raise a very good point. IMHO Sauron would be very worthy foe for the movieverse Avengers – with or without the One Ring.

**Professor A. Silvertree**: No apologies needed as I appreciate readers for taking the time to give any review! Your comments about Sauron being a former Maia is the basis for the reviewer reply above.

* * *

**Chapter 30 – Separations**

Following the events of the previous night, Theoden called for a council of war the following morning. Eomer had some potentially other unpleasant business to attend to first though.

Despite their pair's best efforts, Eowyn and Rogers' early morning meetings quickly became the subject of gossip among the servants and courtiers at the Golden Hall. For the last three dawns Rogers had been seen holding on to Eowyn as they rode her steed to somewhere beyond the bounds of Edoras. Given that Eowyn was always flushed when they returned meant speculation about what the pair had been up to was discussed with knowing looks and smirks.

Eomer usually paid no heed to court gossip. But the final straw was when he overheard two of Theoden's counsellors discussing that perhaps Rogers and Eowyn's 'liaisons' could be 'put to practical use'. Namely convincing the pair to marry so as to seal an alliance between America and Rohan. They were talking about his little sister for the love of the Valar!

Eomer believed, no _knew_, both Eowyn and Rogers' character to be beyond reproach. But war was also a stressful and lonely experience for many people. It wasn't unknown for even the most honourable people to seek out intimacy for comfort and support in response.

The rumours about Eowyn and Rogers had not yet reached Theoden's ears. Eomer felt it would be best for the pair if the King was first told about these rumours privately from his nephew rather than reading it as an agenda item when he next met with his councillors. But Eomer first needed to know if there was any substance to the rumours.

Eomer decided to go straight to the source to determine the truth. Not Eowyn if he could help it. Her response to him invading what she would consider her privacy would probably make even one of the Dwimmerlaik quake with fear. Eomer thought Rogers would immediately own up without rancour to anything untoward if asked about it. Captain America was a rare person by a number of standards. One of those standards was holding a lie of omission to still be a lie.

The Third Marshal was told he could find Rogers in the Meduseld's armoury. He found Rogers sitting at a bench polishing his round shield. As Eomer entered the armoury, Rogers looked up having heard him approaching.

"Mornin' Eomer!" Rogers friendly greeted him.

"Good morning Captain Rogers." Eomer replied trying to sound polite but authoritative. "I'm afraid there's a matter I must discuss with you immediately."

"No problem." Rogers casually replied although he was privately puzzled what could be making Eomer so anxious. He tried to put the Third Marshal at ease, "But before you tell me what you want to talk about, please call me Steve like your uncle and your sister do."

Eomer sucked in a breath at Rogers' reference to Eowyn before quickly releasing it. It seemed ridiculous to even suspect a man who was honourable to a fault of scandalous behaviour. Eomer was sure that Rogers and Eowyn's relationship possessed nothing untoward like servants with overactive imaginations were assigning to it.

"Look, Steve." Eomer began as if embarrassed at having to raise the matter. "I've heard some idle talk that -"

"Good morrow brother!"

Eomer turned around to see that it was none other than Eowyn who delivered this cheerful greeting. She entered the armoury carrying a tray with a mug of milk and some warm dipping bread and honey. Eowyn didn't seem the slightest bit uncomfortable or embarrassed with Eomer's presence as she placed the tray on the bench Rogers sat on.

"Good morrow sister." Eomer replied cautiously

"I apologise if I'm intruding on something." Eowyn continued. "I've only come to serve Steve breakfast."

"You shouldn't have Eowyn." Rogers politely thanked her.

"It's the least I can do I Steve!" Eowyn countered. "Consider it my thanks for the vigorous but enjoyable lesson you gave me this morning."

"Lesson?" a bulging eyed Eomer squeaked. His self-confidence in the propriety of Rogers and Eowyn's relationship now hanged in the balance. He began worrying that, for once, Meduseld gossip contained more than a grain of truth.

"Yes brother!" Eowyn enthused seemingly unaware of her brother's discomfort. "First I suspect you won't approve of what I'm about to tell you."

Eomer's felt his stomach tying itself into knots while speculating what Eowyn was about to reveal that Rogers had been 'teaching' her.

"Prior to the evacuation to Helm's Deep, Steve and I had a very short mock combat within the Meduseld where he noticed some flaws in my technique. Since our return to Edoras, he kindly offered me instruction in how to improve them. Who else but Captain America could teach a shield-maiden how to better use a shield?"

"Who could indeed?" a now thoroughly befuddled Eomer agreed.

"Steve has also been helping me improve my skill with thrown weapons and some unarmed techniques I've never seen before." Eowyn continued. "I've been writing down what I remember of them. I think they could be of benefit to all who carry arms in the defence of the Riddermark." She turned her attention from Eomer to Rogers before asking him "If you don't mind Steve perhaps you could check the veracity of the text or even provide some illustrations to accompany what it says?"

"No problem on both counts Eowyn." Rogers assured her.

Eowyn turned her attention back to Eomer before asking him, "Once I have completed the text I would be keen to get your opinion on it Eomer."

Eomer hoped his sister and Rogers didn't see on his face the huge wave of relief that washed through him. Although he hadn't directly accused either of them of anything untoward, he nonetheless owed both of them an apology of sorts.

"I await your report with much anticipation Eowyn." Eomer answered her before speaking to Rogers. "My personal thanks for your generosity to my sister as well Steve. I know many men in the eoreds under my command would like the honour of private combat instruction from Captain America."

Rogers gave a simple and polite nod in response to Eomer's compliment.

"Well I'll see both of you later at the council." Eowyn remarked before saying with a curtsey, "Good day my lords."

After Eowyn had departed the armoury, Rogers turned his attention back to her brother. He recalled Eomer wanted to talk about something prior to Eowyn's arrival.

"I'm sorry Eomer, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Please accept my pardon Steve." Eomer humbly told him. "The matter has suddenly become clearer to me and I needn't question you about it."

Seeing Rogers accepted this explanation Eomer then changed the topic of conversation.

"So you have skill as an illustrator Steve?" he asked Rogers.

"A little bit." Rogers advised slightly embarrassed. "I guess that seems strange to you seeing you only know me as a fellow soldier."

"No not at all." Eomer replied. "I myself have recently undertaken the craft of jewellery."

"Oh!" a genuinely surprised Rogers responded to this unexpected side of Eomer. "How long have you been doing it?"

"I've started it since this very moment." Eomer advised matter-of-fact before turning to leave the armoury.

Rogers was confused by this and what Eomer fulminated as he left the room.

"The first item I shall be attempting to craft is a necklace of tongues cut from the mouths of Meduseld servants…"

* * *

The council of war was held in the main hall. Given that Sauron had openly revealed himself and his plans, any secrecy surrounding the War of the Ring now seemed a moot point. All the Fellowship in Edoras attended the council in addition to Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, Gamling and a handful of other high ranking Rohirrim.

Gandalf felt sure that Sauron was probably still unaware of the exact location of the Ring-bearer. With luck, the Dark Lord also remained ignorant of the Ring-bearer's ultimate objective of casting the One Ring back into Mount Doom. On this basis he careful chose the words with which to open the discussion.

"There was no lie in Pippin's eye when he told me that he revealed nothing to Sauron of Frodo and the Ring." Gandalf declared before giving Pippin a sympathetic smile "A fool, but an honest fool he remains."

Pippin felt a supportive hand on his right shoulder from Banner who was standing behind him. Gandalf continued to give his analysis of the strategic situation.

"We've been strangely fortunate though. Pippin saw in the palantir a glimpse of the Enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. Saruman's defeat at Helm's Deep and Thor's defeat of one of the Nine has showed our Enemy two things."

Gandalf first directed his attention to Aragorn in advising what the first of those two things were.

"He knows the Heir of Elendil has come forth. Men have courage and are not as weak as he supposed."

The White Wizard then moved his gaze over the three Avengers as he explained the second piece of knowledge that Sauron now had.

"And of course no one in Middle-earth expected three Avengers would be among those standing opposed to Sauron in this war. The Dark Lord himself least expected this development. With the Avengers as their allies, the Free Peoples now have the strength to challenge him. As the Avengers grow in power, the Free Peoples may eventually gain enough strength to even defeat him."

Gandalf then brought his analysis to a conclusion.

"Sauron is not so mighty as to yet be above fear. The real possibility of the Free Peoples uniting under one banner aided by the power of the Avengers terrifies him. To prevent this from happening Sauron will raze Minas Tirith to the ground!"

At Gandalf's words Boromir quickly turned to face Aragorn who was standing to his right. Given the look on Boromir's face, Aragorn had no doubt what he was about to ask him.

"Aragorn I still hold myself to the oath I swore to you." Boromir began. "But after what Gan-"

Aragorn raised his hand to halt Boromir speaking further.

"Boromir you need not convince me that you should immediately return to Minas Tirith." Aragorn humbly assured him. "You must warn your father of what we have learned. And who else should lead the defence of Minas Tirith but the Captain of the White Tower?"

"Who should indeed?" Gandalf enigmatically asked. The other Fellowship members sensed Gandalf had just made another reference to Aragorn's heritage before revealing "But nonetheless I shall accompany Lord Boromir and assist him with both the tasks Aragorn spoke of."

"You forget Boromir that I also swore an oath to you." Aragorn reminded him having picked up the hidden meaning of Gandalf had said. "I shall be joining you as well so we can defend the White City together as I promised."

Gandalf quickly moved to dissuade Aragorn of that notion.

"Your fulfilment of that oath is by a different road Aragorn." Gandalf then walked up close to Aragorn and whispered something in his ear. Everyone else in the council noted Aragorn gave a worried reaction to whatever Gandalf told him.

"You'd better have a pretty good reason if you're to stop me from coming instead Gandalf!"

Rogers' intervention drew the looks of everyone within the main hall. Banner and Thor realised that the Avengers were now being separated again by no less than the free choice of their leader. Rogers began to explain to all present the reasons behind his decision.

"Look, Sauron knows about the Avengers. If he's going to hit Minas Tirith at least one of us should be there. The rest of us, that's you Thor and Bruce, should stay in Rohan.

"Rohan and Gondor may no longer be in a vice, but it's a good bet Sauron has a nasty backup plan to stop their forces from uniting. If that plan is aimed at the Rohirrim, and with the White Wizard in Gondor, they'll at least have the God of Thunder and The Incredible Hulk to help them meet it."

Rogers then looked at Boromir and politely asked, "I'm basing this on the assumption your invitation for me to tour Minas Tirith is still open Boromir?"

"It most certainly is Steve!" Boromir confirmed with a wide smile.

While there was the chance of introducing Rogers to Faramir, it was a certainty to Boromir that Rogers could be introduced to Denethor. Boromir would not be returning to Minas Tirith with the One Ring as his father had asked him to. And Boromir had no doubt his father would be disappointed in him for this 'failure'. But Boromir hoped that by bringing Rogers to Minas Tirith, Denethor's disappointment would be tempered somewhat. Any Steward or King of Gondor from any age would be honoured to have Captain America aiding in the defence of their realm.

"And I have no reason against you being part of this journey Steve." Gandalf added. "Unlike Aragorn, your road to Minas Tirith is in accompanying Boromir and I there."

"Look, aren't we selling ourselves a bit short here?" Banner interjected which drew a number of curious looks in response. Seeing these looks Banner explained "Don't get me wrong. I agree with what everyone's said and that we've to go and help Boromir's city. But even if Minas Tirith fell, surely we'd still continue to fight?"

"The Dark Lord chooses to destroy Minas Tirith not just because of its military value Bruce." Legolas explained to him. "It is also where the empty throne of Gondor awaits its rightful heir to occupy it. Minas Tirith's fall would prevent the return of the king many of the Free Peoples wait on to lead them in this dark hour."

"It's like why Loki chose to attack us in New York." Rogers reminded Banner of the Avengers' stand against the renegade Asgardian Prince. "The morale of the Free Peoples would suffer a fatal blow if Sauron defeated their heroes while destroying one of their most iconic cities." Rogers then drew on that quote of Sun Tzu's he remembered at Helm's Deep. "Sauron doesn't actually need to physically destroy all resistance to him to win this war. Unfortunately for us, he knows he only needs to destroy the will of the Free Peoples to fight it."

"Point taken." Banner acknowledged while being quietly disturbed at the parallels Rogers made with the Chitauri invasion and their current situation.

"The rest of should take another point of Steve's." Gandalf added. "Even with the Avengers aiding us, the Free Peoples still have to unite if we are to prevail against the Dark Lord." Gandalf then turned his attention to Theoden before telling him "If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."

Rogers guessed the beacons Gandalf spoke of were some sort of relay system between Gondor and Rohan. Many nations in Earth's past had used networks of torch-lit beacons to warn of an advancing enemy.

Theoden was privately seething at the tone of the Fellowship's conversation since this council of war commenced. The Fellowship seemed to think his consent to their strategy to be a mere formality without even asking for his input first. Theoden was sincerely grateful to the Fellowship for their assistance to Rohan during her recent struggle against Saruman. But he was tired of the Fellowship continually displaying a belief that it had the right to lecture and order him in front of his subjects. The Fellowship needed reminding that Theoden was the Lord of the Mark and as such he was the one who decided when Rohan went to war.

"Tell me," Theoden retorted with dispassionate fury "why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"

Even Eowyn and Eomer were stunned at these words. The latter tentatively turned his gaze to Boromir whose anger at Theoden's words was plain to see. Eomer sincerely hoped these words for the sake of political theatre. Disobeying Wormtongue was one thing. But was he willing to disobey an order of his uncle's if it too jeopardised the safety of Rohan?

Eomer was correct about Boromir being angry with Theoden. But Boromir also realised he needed to choose his words carefully as Gondor's fate could well hinge on them.

"Milord if Gondor falls, Rohan will soon follow!" Boromir pointed as calmly as he could. "The Oath of Eorl m-"

"I've been familiar with the Oath of Eorl since before you first played with toy soldiers as a young boy Lord Boromir." Theoden coldly interrupted. "Perhaps you will allow me the same length of time to consider Gondor's request that your father took before rejecting Rohan's many similar requests over the years?"

Although the look on his face was impassive, Theoden was secretly satisfied with the reaction his recent words had caused. At least the Fellowship now understood they shouldn't simply take him for granted. Unfortunately for Theoden, he had taken for granted the Avengers would always display the same respect for his authority that Rogers gave at the feast. Particularly the Avenger whose temper matched the elements he was mythologised as God of.

Thor had only been half-listening to the unfolding debate. He was still silently brooding from his encounter with Sauron last night. Gandalf said that Sauron feared the Avengers. But from what he sensed of the Dark Lord's power, Thor thought the Avengers should also fear Sauron. The Dark Lord of Mordor could arguably even be a match for the All-Father. Thor now understood why Gandalf implied that Sauron with the One Ring could prove unstoppable even with the current group of Avengers at full power. Even the full combined roster of Avengers would struggle against such a foe.

Thor's ears pricked up at Theoden's remarks about Gondor. Because in the past he had numerous arguments with Odin in Asgard, Thor had no fear debating any monarch within their own halls. But given he still felt shaken from his experience with the palantir, Thor expressed his dissent to Theoden less diplomatically than he normally would.

"Perhaps we should Theoden-King." Thor sarcastically agreed.

Everyone within the council turned his or her attention towards Thor at his remark. He continued to speak in the same tone.

"Perhaps you also think the Fellowship should have taken their time to decide whether to free you from Saruman's control? Or that Gondor's Captain-General and the Heir to its Throne should have asked what they owe Rohan before they risked their lives in the defence of Helm's Deep?"

The satisfaction that Theoden felt from bringing the Fellowship to heel was gone in an instant. Rather than being the latest Fellowship member to unintentionally undermine Theoden's authority, Thor was the first to show a brazen contempt for it.

"Don't think your actions give you any special privilege to lecture me Prince Thor!" Theoden sternly reminded Thor of their difference in royal status. "Your words just spoken I consider to be from the mouth of a disrespectful and impetuous boy!"

"_And the words you speak are from an old man and a fool!_" Thor thundered in response his face crimson red with anger.

All the Rohirrim sucked in a breath or let out a quiet gasp in response to Thor's outburst. It had been ages that any Lord of the Riddermark, let alone Theoden, had been addressed like this within the Meduseld. Normally any one of them would have leapt to defend their King's honour including Eomer and Eowyn. But being aware of Thor's power they were uncertain if he would release on them if enraged enough. Eomer quietly thought that Banner wasn't the only Avenger one shouldn't try to anger.

"How _dare_ you speak to me like that within my own halls?!" Theoden angrily questioned Thor.

The heated argument came to an end when Gandalf sharply banged the end of his staff on the floor. Even Thor shuddered at the sound it made as it loudly echoed within the confines of the main hall. It reminded Thor of the sound made when Odin tapped his spear Gungir to call matters to order or to exercise his vast power.

Rather than berate Thor and Theoden, Gandalf drew their attention to what they should be focused on.

"I assure all within the Golden Hall that the Beacons of Gondor will soon be lit." After a beat Gandalf then stressed "May Rohan choose wisely how she responds when she sees them!"

Boromir felt it best that this council wind up least Theoden prove as stubborn as Denethor when angered.

"When do we depart for Minas Tirith?" Boromir asked Gandalf.

"We leave within the hour, Lord Boromir." Gandalf informed him before adding. "And the three of us shall be accompanied by a special guest."

Pippin raised his eyebrows in surprise that the whole council had followed Gandalf's lead in gazing at him. Why were they all looking at him for? Rogers quickly provided some light on the matter.

"If the four of us are going to be helping another besieged location, there's something else 'special' we should take with us…"

* * *

Gandalf, Thor, Legolas and Gimli were standing just outside the Meduseld's front porch. They were waiting on the companions that would be joining the White Wizard on his journey to Minas Tirith. Thor was arguing with Gandalf that he should be accompanying him as well.

"I understand your desire to draw Sauron's gaze away from Rohan, Odinson." Gandalf said. "But Steve is right. If you went with me to Gondor, Sauron may well then choose the Riddermark rather than Minas Tirith as the first to suffer his full wrath."

"I defer to your wisdom again Gandalf." Thor replied before glumly stating "I only wish I had some of it prior to my words at the council just past. My anger could now see Rohan not coming to Gondor's aid at all."

Gandalf gave Thor an understanding smile before advising him "Theoden and you share two things in common Thor. You are both strong willed and you also both have the humility to admit when you've made a mistake."

Trying to lift Thor's spirits, Gimli patted Thor on his lower back before saying "One mistake you can admit to right now laddie is finding an excuse to get out of the next round of our competition!"

The doors of the Meduseld swung open and the rest of the Fellowship poured through them. Banner walked just behind Merry and Pippin and Aragorn was in discussion with Boromir. Rogers halted under the front porch as he had a farewell to make before going on his journey.

"Sorry Eowyn but I guess I'll have to check your draft text when I get back." Rogers lightly apologised to the Shield-maiden who was standing facing him.

"I understand Steve." Eowyn replied with a smile. "And I intend to keep practicing those drills you taught me even though you are absent."

Before Rogers could smile back he just realised something.

"I keep forgetting to give something back to you!" Rogers advised Eowyn before reaching into one of his belt pouches. Cushioned in his right hand was the brooch Eowyn gave him prior to the Battle of Helm's Deep. The brooch was of a horse's head made of gold with an emerald for an 'eye'. Eowyn closed Rogers' fingers around the brooch.

"Consider it a gift from me Steve," Eowyn told him "a token of my appreciation for your all kindness." Despite her best efforts, Eowyn could not prevent a tear rolling down her cheek before saying "As well as helping to fill the hole in my life caused by my cousin's death!"

She gave Rogers a firm embrace before whispering in his ear "Take care Steve!" After this she turned her back and went back into the Golden Hall to prevent herself from shedding any more tears over Rogers' departure.

Rogers then joined the rest of the Fellowship who were waiting for him. He knew that most of them were unlikely to ask what Eowyn had said to him. However Banner told him that Pippin had a habit of innocently asking indelicate questions just from curiosity. To protect Eowyn's privacy from the Took's possible inquisitiveness, Rogers decided to ask Gandalf a question on a different matter.

"Do you want me to share a ride with Boromir for this journey Gandalf?"

"Given that time is of the essence Captain America I think it best you run with your own legs until I advise otherwise." Gandalf recommended. "Lord Boromir's horse will find it difficult enough to keep up with Shadowfax without having to also bear the burden of yourself and what you've volunteered to carry!"

With his spirit improved from a few moments ago, Thor jested to Gandalf "Your forget Gandalf that you yourself said that Shadowfax would struggle to keep with the Avengers at speed!"

"I did Thor." Gandalf agreed with a mirthful raised eyebrow. "But as this is Steve's first journey to Gondor, he'll want to remain in our group to avoid becoming lost before getting there!" After the Fellowship shared a laugh at this, Gandalf's face and tone then became quite serious as he advised them, "But also because the Nazgul will now be searching for Pippin."

"What do you mean the Black Riders are looking for me?!" Pippin asked in alarm.

"Come!"

Gandalf quickly curtailed the discussion with this command to the rest of the Fellowship to follow him to the Royal Stables. Before joining them, Rogers called Thor over for a quiet word.

"Look, Thor, please don't take this that I have feelings for Eowyn." Rogers began. "But I think she does have feelings for Aragorn. Sooner or later she's going to find out he's engaged. When that happens…" Rogers awkwardly paused before restarting, "I guess what I'm trying to say is –"

Rogers halted speaking when Thor placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"I understand you perfectly my friend." Thor assured Rogers seriously. "You have my word as a fellow Avenger that I shall keep your counsel secret and that I shall protect the Lady Eowyn's person in your absence."

In response, Rogers gave a simple "Thanks."

"However," Thor warned "even the All-Father can't protect her from the pain caused by a broken heart."

"I know." Rogers sighed. "I just hope that pain doesn't cause her to take any action that could stop her heart as well…"

* * *

Gandalf led the Fellowship towards the Royal Stables. A few steps behind him were Merry and Pippin walking side by side. Banner was closely following the pair and listening on the quiet argument they were having.

"Why did you look?" an exasperated Merry asked his cousin in reference to the palantir. "Why do you always have to look?"

"I don't know." Pippin casually remarked. "I can't help it."

"You never can!" Merry bitterly scolded him

Banner heard the genuine hurt Pippin felt from Merry's words as he pleaded "I'm sorry, all right? I won't do it again!"

"Pippin you go on ahead with Gandalf." Banner tactfully intervened. "There's something I need to talk about with Merry before we see you off."

After Pippin was out of earshot, Banner turned to Merry and began to quietly talk to him.

"Look Merry you're right." Banner began. "Pippin shouldn't have looked in that seeing stone. But he did. A bit like I should've been more cautious before I started experimenting with gamma radiation."

"I'm not so much angry at Pippin as worried about him." Merry explained. "He doesn't seem to understand that Sauron now thinks that he has the Ring or is the key to finding it!

"Like what happened from your experiment Bruce, Pip will have enemies coming after him. But unlike what also resulted from your experiment, Pippin can't protect himself by turning into 'The Incredible Took'!"

"True that!" Banner conceded while chuckling at Merry's wit. Banner quickly sobered before advising Merry, "You're also right about Pippin having to go on the run to avoid capture. But my friends never had the chance to wish me well before I went on the run. Pippin's do before he does."

A short while later in the Royal Stables, Merry followed Banner's advice. The two cousins 'smoked the peace pipe' somewhat literally when Merry gave Pippin the last of his pipe-weed before the latter departed Edoras. Banner was also quietly pleased when Merry warned Pippin that the Took smoked too much.

* * *

Banner and Merry joined the Fellowship remaining in Edoras atop its Gatehouse. They witnessed its members going to Minas Tirith leave on their journey. On the plains before them Gandalf and Pippin rode atop Shadowfax and Boromir rode the chestnut steed that he had been riding since Eomer gifted it to the Fellowship.

Rogers was between the two horses effortlessly matching their speed as they galloped across the plains of Rohan. Rogers carried across the front of his chest a heavy hessian sack that was tied diagonally behind his back with two opposite leather straps. The straps were hidden under his shield that he carried on his back in its customary fashion. The sack contained the four cases of napalm that had been salvaged from the Orthanc.

"I apologise for previously teasing you about it Gimli." Legolas said to his dwarven friend who was next to him. "But I confess to still being amazed that one man can outrun one of the mearas even though he carries a heavy burden."

"Steve will be able to carry that burden at that speed all the way to Minas Tirith." Banner observed before wryly adding, "As long as he remembers on the way not to put that sack too close to any fire source."

Merry didn't join the other Fellowship members in giving Banner a restrained snort of agreement. Merry was too concerned about what lay ahead for Pippin. Especially because he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him like he always had before.

"He's always followed me, everywhere I went, since before we were tweens." Merry sadly reflected to the Fellowship before the travellers to Gondor soon became dots in the distance. "I would get him into the worst sort of trouble, but I was always there to get him out. Now he's gone. Just like Frodo and Sam."

"One thing I have learned about Hobbits: They're a most hardy folk." Aragorn kindly reminded Merry of the much-underestimated inner strength of that race.

"Foolhardy, maybe." Merry said in reference to his cousin. "He's a Took!"

"That may be Master Meriadoc." Thor remarked before arguing, "But with the Son of the Steward, the White Wizard and Captain America all keeping an eye on Pippin, even a Ringwraith would be foolhardy to try and harm him!"

* * *

**Hopefully the status of Steve and Eowyn's relationship is now clear for all concerned.**

**Theoden's apparent reluctance to answer the beacons is of course another book/movie difference. But I've always thought there was more to that reluctance than Theoden just venting over Gondor's lack of aid over the years. Theoden would've realised that Rohan on her own never stood a chance of defeating Mordor. But somewhere in **_**The Prince**_**, Machiavelli argued that rulers lose authority and standing if their people see them as just a rubber stamp for other powers. I think Theoden wanted to remind everyone that he was the final authority in Rohan not The Fellowship. Readers would be correct in concluding that I believe politics being largely about perception management (aka 'spin') would be true in Arda as it is on Earth.**

**The next couple of chapters will probably focus on the Fellowship members that are currently travelling to Gondor.**


	31. Hopes and Fears Realised

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

29/05/2013

A lot of reviewer debate caused by Thor's thoughts on Sauron's power. Especially about if Sauron could match the Avengers or even Odin in battle. My main purpose behind Thor's thoughts was to show that each Avenger is not one-dimensional but a complex character.

The movie franchises this crossover is based on have at least one theme in common. Even the most powerful and wise aren't immune to error, fear and misjudgment – even very serious ones. In the literature and movies, Sauron was a master at sewing doubt in the minds of his enemies including about their most certain beliefs.

A very credible argument can be made that, in the overall scheme of things, Odin has much greater power than Sauron. If the two of them entered into personal combat my money would be on the All-Father. But an equally credible argument can be made that Sauron is no fool. The Dark Lord would certainly know from his experience the futility of trying to defeat to a more powerful foe by directly slugging it out with them.

For example Sauron learned that he didn't have the power to vanquish Numenor in a direct military confrontation. So he instead destroyed it from within by corrupting its rulers and people after he had ingratiated himself to them as their prisoner. The flip side to that coin is that the Dark Lord painfully underestimated the threat to him posed by Hobbits.

I will admit the reference to Sauron v Odin/Avengers is based on something I consider to be an axiom. Its hubris bordering on madness to assume that an adversary's threat is directly proportional to the raw power they can project. The ultimate victor and vanquished of a conflict isn't always determined by a direct confrontation between its participants.

**gunman:** In relation to your comments about Denethor I refer to my notes at the start of Chapter 17 about the difference between author knowledge and character knowledge. Boromir's had to re-evaluate a few of his assumptions in this story so far. I think some assumptions he still holds about his father will require the most painful re-evaluating he's done so far.

**StoneCold22:** To be honest I've never played the audio commentary on ROTK. But I'm relieved to know that at least Bernard Hill shares similar thoughts about the motivation behind Theoden's remark.

**Arekanderu**: In fairness to PJ, for the sake of the film he had to simplify how the Ring was cut from Sauron's hand as described in _The Silmarillion._ Isildur was only able cut it after Elendil and Gil-galad – two of the Free People's greatest leaders and most powerful heroes of the Second Age - directly fought and weakened Sauron which cost the pair their lives. I think there's a bit of merit in the theory put by some that, in the film trilogy, Narsil was the only weapon crafted by the Free Peoples that could physically harm Sauron. The corollary to this are the reasons why Sauron took the bait Aragorn offered via the palantir. The reforged Narsil wasn't dangerous simply because it symbolised Isildur's heir openly declaring himself.

**JakMartheDarkWarrior**: Chapter 1 very clearly states that this crossover is largely based on movieverse with elements of literature to flesh it out – 'sigh' back at you.

**Lupin2020:** Theoden would've left it at reminders of royal station if not for Thor's blatant sarcasm. After 15 years' work experience in external relations I've found the bulk of political leaders to be just as flawed as the rest of us. They don't always reply to every insult they receive with polite restraint.

* * *

**Chapter 31 – Hopes and Fears Realised**

The four Fellowship members travelling to Minas Tirith went via a route known as the 'Great West Road'. Rogers thought this description was being generous to the wide dusty path he was following. The only connection the road had to its former 'greatness' was its sporadic chunks of paving - most of which had been overgrown by the grass of Rohan's plains. Rogers thought that at least the White Mountains to the southern horizon that ranged endlessly eastwards provided a nice backdrop as he ran.

It was about a 360-mile journey from Edoras to Minas Tirith by this route. Boromir told Rogers their company had crossed the border into Gondor after they forded a stream called the 'Mering'.

Gandalf would have ridden Shadowfax to Minas Tirith without stopping if Pippin were his sole companion on this journey. But because the pair had other Fellowship members travelling with them, the company planned to stop at night for a few hours rest. Along with Pippin, Boromir and his steed greatly appreciated the routine stop. Gandalf suspected that Rogers appreciated the break for a different reason. Even Captain America was grateful to have an unhurried chat with his friends.

The four's first overnight stop was an oaken forest known as 'Firien Wood'. The company refrained from lighting a campfire. Even with the cover the foliage of Firien provided, the whole company didn't want to risk anything that could alert the Nazgul to their presence. Pippin still had bad memories of what happened when he, Merry and Sam lit a fire out of blissful ignorance at Weathertop.

The rest of the company by now well knew that the Super-Soldier serum Rogers received gave him seemingly limitless stamina and the speed to outrun horses. They also knew that Rogers was physically strong. The remainder of the company asked Rogers if weight of the napalm cases he was carrying bothered him at all. Even Gandalf raised an eyebrow in surprise at Rogers' reply to this question.

"Like everyone else, I can't ignore the logistics of a package." Rogers modestly prefaced. "But I've found that I can carry up to eight hundred pounds relatively comfortably when I'm on the move. Two tons is greatest weight I've just been able to lift while standing still."

"How much can the Other Guy lift?" Pippin eagerly asked. From what Pippin had seen of the Avengers, even Captain America's strength was miniscule compared to Hulk's.

"The only thing that I'm aware of that Hulk hasn't been able to lift is Mjolnir." Rogers recalled from what he'd been told of the clash between Hulk and Thor that took place on the SHIELD Heli-Carrier. "But as that wasn't about raw strength I don't know if that really counts. As he keeps getting stronger, I don't know if there's anything in Middle-earth that Hulk will soon not be able to lift!"

"I wish I could make a wager over that with someone who didn't know anything about Hulk!" Pippin wistfully remarked. "If only I could make that wager with Innkeeper Whitfoot - a year's supply of free ale if Hulk can lift the Green Dragon above his head!"

"Steve you best stop now discussing the limits of Hulk's strength." Gandalf warned with apparent exasperation. Gandalf then looked at Pippin before his mouth began to twitch. The White Wizard was simply glad that Pippin was back to his cheerful self despite the danger the company faced. "Otherwise by the time we get to journey's end, Pippin will want to wager with the Steward that Hulk can lift Minas Tirith for all the food and drink it contains!"

* * *

The four Fellowship members had settled in for the night before they reached Minas Tirith the following morn. They had made a short detour southwards at dusk before stopping in a dense pine forest known as the 'Druadan'. Gandalf advised against venturing too deep into the forest. Wild men whose loyalties were uncertain inhabited the Druadan. Unlike the previous two evenings, the company had lit a fire of sorts on this particular evening. The 'fire' was from Gandalf and Pippin's pipes as the pair blew tiny smoke rings from the last of Merry's Longbottom leaf.

Boromir and Rogers sat a couple of yards away from the pipe smokers. Over the last couple of evenings the pair of Captains educated each other on their respective country's history. Boromir thought Rogers had every right to be proud of America's achievements even though it wasn't even a tenth of Gondor's age. Being able to devise a means to travel to the Moon was something that Numenor couldn't do even at its very height! But in keeping with his characteristic honesty, Rogers didn't gloss over the darker moments in the history of the country he was titled champion of. Like Gondor, America had experienced its share of natural disasters, pestilence, economic and social injustices, dishonourable leadership and civil strife.

One of Boromir's current fears for Gondor was that his father's response to Aragorn could see it spiral into a period of kin-strife worse than its last. Maybe even a period as destructive as the American Civil War from what Rogers described of it. Worse, in that event Boromir would be as torn as Gondor given the choice he would have to make between familial loyalty and his oath of fealty to Aragorn. If Saruman knew about the events that transpired at Amon Hen as he hinted, Boromir now understood why he chose the taunt about Aragorn usurping Denethor to most hurt him. Boromir hoped Captain America might be able to advise him of a way out of this dilemma.

"When I swore that oath to Aragorn that you witnessed Steve, it was largely because I felt I owed him my life." he explained to Rogers. "But the more I've come to know him I truly believe Aragorn can provide the leadership Gondor currently needs.

"I wasn't lying to you in Lothlorien about my father being a noble man and I'm still very proud to be his son. Because my family's house has ruled Gondor for so long, my father said that Gondor doesn't need a king anymore. But…he's wrong. Especially because the return of its king is no longer a matter that just affects Gondor.

"From what I've witnessed in my time in the Fellowship, nearly all the Free Peoples wait in hope for the King of Gondor to be restored. If only because, unlike my father, Aragorn still believes that Sauron can be defeated without us having to use the Ring!"

Rogers felt for his friend. Theoden clearly wasn't the only leader among the Free Peoples suffering from the burden of command. If only Theoden knew what Boromir had just said, maybe he would've shown a lot more empathy towards Gondor's plight.

If Boromir was asking how to deal with difficult fathers, Banner should be the Avenger he should be asking for advice. Rogers still needed clarity on something before giving the best advice he could though.

"I'm correct in saying there's no gone by date when the descendants of Gondor's last king had to claim the throne by?"

After Boromir gave a couple of nods confirming this was correct, Rogers then continued.

"One thing that Gondor and America seem to have in common is the principle that not even their leaders are above the law. I can't think of any greater threat to a free nation than when its leaders begin thinking they are above the laws they've sworn to uphold.

"It's easy to take a stand on that principle when leaders are strangers. The real test comes when we like those leaders or consider them to be our friends. And I can't imagine how difficult that test is if those leaders are also close family members.

"You also told me in Lothlorien that your father looks to you to restore Gondor's glory. If that's the case, and if he's a noble man, then your father has no honourable choice but to accept your judgment on the matter. Even if he doesn't like what that judgment is.

"You've clearly come to believe that the best way to make Gondor great again is for Aragorn to be its king. But to make that happen the only honourable choice for you Boromir is that you have to plainly tell your father this first."

There was a pause before Rogers concluded.

"I'm sorry if I've sounded like I'm preaching to you Boromir as well as not giving you much to work with. In this case I can only really call the situation as I see it. I'm afraid the rest is up to you."

Boromir gave a subtle nod of thanks to Rogers. Boromir always believed restoring the glory of Gondor would require a great battle to be fought. From what Rogers told him, that battle was shaping up to be one he feared more compared to any against Mordor's countless minions.

* * *

By mid-morning the following day, the four travellers crested a hill and saw to the south-west their destination.

"Behold Minas Tirith!" Gandalf proclaimed to the group. "City of kings!"

Minas Tirith was unlike any city Rogers had ever seen and its description as 'The White City' was no exaggeration. Minas Tirith was built on a hill with the easternmost face of the White Mountains directly at its back. It was circular in shape being three quarters of a mile in diameter surrounded by a very thick outer wall about sixty feet high known as the 'Othram'.

The city was divided into seven, one hundred-foot high levels each surrounded by a white wall of lesser thickness than the Othram. An interesting feature of Minas Tirith was a spur of rock whose summit was level with the city's highest tier. The spur of rock was in the shape of a ship-keel and it jutted out from the front of the city in an easterly direction, dividing all but the first level into two. At the highest level of the city was the Citadel of Minas Tirith which was the civic heart of Gondor. The most imminent feature of the Citadel was a three hundred foot high white tower that, at its summit, afforded a one thousand feet high view of Minas Tirith and its surrounds. Rogers had no doubt this white tower was the 'Tower of Ecthelion' that Boromir described to him using his mind's eye in Lothlorien.

If he had to flippantly describe it, Rogers would say that Minas Tirith resembled a cruise ship crashing through a giant wedding cake. But Gandalf was right. The White City would be a city fit for any king. Rogers sensed that Boromir was staring at him, waiting on his initial reaction to Minas Tirith.

"You can relax Boromir." Rogers casually remarked without even looking at him. "I'm more than impressed!"

Minas Tirith was also a much more impressive fortification than Helm's Deep. Rogers could just make out that a number of trebuchets dotted the city. Gondorians obviously understood the importance of good artillery support in making a successful defence. The plain that stretched eastwards from Minas Tirith, that Boromir had earlier told him was called the 'Field of Pelennor', offered a superb line of sight against any besieging force. To a medieval army, even one that carried some of Saruman's experimental weapons, Minas Tirith would appear to be almost impenetrable. This got Rogers worrying about what had been revealed to Pippin in the palantir. Sauron would have to be pretty sure of his strength if he believed he could turn such a city into pile of burning rubble. Rogers' thoughts on ruined cities were expanded when he noticed that one stood about eighteen miles directly north-east of Minas Tirith.

"That ruined city to the east that has the river, which I assume is the Anduin, dividing it." Rogers directed the group's attention to the said ruins by pointing at them. "What is it?"

"Those Steve are the ruins of the city of Osgiliath." Gandalf advised him. "Osgiliath used to be the jewel in Gondor's crown many centuries ago. Now its ruins weep to Gondor's fallen glory."

The ruined city's name rang a bell for Rogers. He turned his head to Boromir and asked him a question.

"So that's the site of that battle you told me that you and your brother fought in before you had to go to Rivendell?"

"Yes Steve." Boromir confirmed as he ambivalently recalled the last time he had seen his father and brother. "I think you can see now for yourself that Osgiliath remains an important strategic location despite it falling into ruin. If Mordor was to capture its western bank where our forces are currently deployed, there would be nothing to stop Sauron bringing his full force to bear against the White City."

"If we are to stop this occurrence we shouldn't then tarry to Minas Tirith any more." Gandalf remarked to Boromir before turning his attention to Rogers. "Now the time has come for you to share Boromir's steed again Steve. Sauron now knows of your speed but in all likelihood the Steward does not. I think it best we don't, even unintentionally, do anything that could distract Lord Denethor away from the original purpose of our journey here."

"I understand Gandalf." Rogers replied before mounting behind Boromir. The horse the pair sat on shifted with slight discomfort with the additional weight it now had to carry. Rogers then added "The last thing I want to do is draw everyone's focus away from what's important."

Rogers couldn't see the smile Boromir curled with his lips at this remark.

"You guess correctly Steve." Boromir said plainly before stating firmly tongue in cheek "I wouldn't want a man that can run faster than a horse to draw Minas Tirith's attention away from my glorious return to it!"

* * *

The Great Gate was the main gate into the first level of Minas Tirith. It was part of the Othram with its face orientated directly east. In front of the Great Gate there was a large paved area called the Gateway. The roads to Minas Tirith met here: the Great West Road, the South Road to the southern provinces of Gondor, and the road heading east to Osgiliath.

The Great Gate was very strong; constructed of iron and steel guarded by stone towers and bastions. The Great Gate had decorating its face intricately detailed iron motifs of armored soldiers. The sentries who manned the Great Gate urged each other to hurriedly open the gates upon making out the four approaching travellers. Their Captain-General had finally returned to the White City! Their spirits rose higher on seeing that Boromir seemed to have brought with him no less than the famed Mithrandir to aid Gondor. But they were curious about why Boromir also had as travelling companions a Halfling and a strangely dressed man who looked to be a mix of porter and shield-bearer.

The iron doors of the Great Gate rolled back open to allow the four Fellowship members entrance into the city. The four Fellowship members were first met by current watch commander of the Great Gate whose name was Hirgon. Boromir instructed Hirgon to send word to the Steward that he and his three companions would like an immediate audience. Arrangements were also made to take the hessian sack that Rogers was carrying to the city's main barracks that was on the first level. Given the contents of what it was carrying, Boromir made it very clear the sack was to be stored well away from any flames.

As the four travelled through to the first six levels Rogers noticed several things about Minas Tirith.

Each level comprised many alleys, narrow passageways, marketplaces, family shops and stores, public buildings, and dwellings such as apartments on the lower levels to luxurious townhouses on the higher ones (location seemed to be the most important thing in real estate on both Earth and Middle-earth). On the sixth level was located a complex of stone infirmaries known as the Houses of Healing that were surrounded by pleasant gardens. There were also stables that combined Rogers estimated could probably house a greater number of horses than the Edoras Royal Stable

The gates connecting the levels didn't lay behind one another in a line. Unlike the Great Gate, the gate to the second level faced south and the gate to the third level faced north. The pathway between levels zig-zagged in this south-north fashion until it reached the sixth level. Obviously each gate could be used by defenders to establish a chokehold at the level they led to.

Gondorians seemed to have an olive skin complexion with much darker hair colours. They were a contrast to the Rohirrim who Thor described as possessing a Nordic-like appearance. Unlike their counterparts in Rohan, Gondorian men seemed evenly split in possessing a beard. But the other thing that struck Rogers was that Minas Tirith appeared sparsely populated compared to its size. He then recalled Boromir telling him that centuries ago Gondor experienced its equivalent of the 'Black Death' that hit Medieval Europe and Asia. Unlike those two Earth continents, maybe Gondor had never recovered from its most infamous pandemic.

The final thing that Rogers noticed was the reaction Boromir received as he passed through each level. All types of men, women and children who spotted him cheered as he rode by or called out to welcome him home. From what he had come to know of the man, Rogers wasn't surprised that Boromir was so highly regarded by his fellow Gondorians. Rogers suspected one reason Denethor expected so much of Boromir was because his eldest son's popularity among Gondor's people and military was probably greater than his own. But if this was the case the Steward would fear Boromir's popularity as well. If Boromir came out in support of Aragorn claiming his birthright, Denethor's position as Steward would almost become untenable. Even if Denethor believed Aragorn had no right to displace him as Gondor's ruler.

The four dismounted at the stables on the sixth level before entering the Citadel via a long lamp-lit tunnel that head been delved into the 'ship-keel' rock.

The four entered into the Citadel and began walking towards to the Tower of Ecthelion. On the ground floor of the Tower was located the Tower Hall in which the currently vacant throne of Gondor lay. In the immediate vicinty of the Tower were some other great buildings that comprised the Citadel. These included the Merethrond or Great Hall of Feasts and the King's House that were just north and west of the Tower respectively. Boromir pointed out to Rogers his and Faramir's quarters as well as statehouses for important guests.

Gandalf and Pippin led slightly in front of Boromir and Rogers. Rogers quickly looked at the guards that were on duty in the citadel. They each wore a steel cuirass with a tree embossed on the chest. Over laying the 'trunk' was a three-pointed golden crown at the top of a semi-circle of golden stars. The fine black cloaks the guards wore largely covered the rest of their armour. An obvious exception was the helms they had been issued with. Their helms were high-crowned and pointed, with long cheek-guards fitting to the face and on each of its two sides was a large crest of white feathers. While the guards all seemed to have a scabbarded sword, their principal weapon was a ten-foot ashen spear that had a foot-long ridged blade resting upon a downward crescent hilt.

Jerking his head towards these guards, Rogers asked Boromir "I take these soldiers are Gondor's equivalent of Theoden's Royal Guard?"

Boromir nodded in confirmation.

"To be made one of the Citadel Guard is considered one of the greatest honours by our regular soldiers. The Guard are relatively small in number but they are finest soldiers in the realm of Gondor. Aside from protecting the person of Gondor's ruler, the Guard has another important thing to protect."

Before Rogers had the chance to ask what it was he was interrupted by Pippin. Pippin indirectly answered the question Rogers wanted to ask by pointing out to Gandalf the object that he saw in the palantir.

"It's the tree Gandalf!"

Rogers though the botany of Middle-earth couldn't get any stranger after having witnessed the Ents. But the path the four currently walked on curved around a tree whose bark and branches were a near-pure white in natural colour. Aside from its colour, what struck Rogers about the tree was how barren it looked.

The tree stood next to a small circular fountain. The fountain had a Citadel Guard posted close to it with backs turned at each of the four main compass points. Rogers guessed the silk mask that each Guard wore over their mouth was a reminder that they were not to speak or be spoken too while they protected the tree.

"Yes, the White Tree of Gondor." Gandalf confirmed matter of fact to Pippin. "The tree of the king."

Rogers remembered Boromir telling him that the survivors from a great kingdom called 'Numenor' founded Gondor. Sauron managed to so badly corrupt Numenor that its destruction was considered Middle-earth's equivalent of Noah's Flood combined with Sodom and Gomorrah. The White Tree of Gondor was grown from a sapling recovered from a similar tree in Numenor. Rogers understood the logic of why Sauron wanted to specifically destroy the literal White Tree. If it happened, Gondor would lose its cherished symbol of liberty and one of its most enduring national monuments. The psychological loss would be the equivalent of an enemy of the United States destroying the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

At a quiet word from Boromir, the four stopped at the steps that led into the Tower of Ecthelion.

"I think it best we make no mention of Frodo and the Ring to my father." Boromir advised his three companions. "And while I'm happy to introduce you Steve, we should also take Gandalf's lead and not yet inform him of what our three Avengers are capable of."

Pippin may have recently engaged in acts of manipulation but the politics of big folk still went right over his head.

"Why wouldn't your Dad be happy having the Avengers helping us against Sauron?" Pippin asked Boromir.

Boromir was glad that Pippin hadn't completely lost his innocence despite everything the Fellowship had been through as he pointed out to him "Unfortunately Pippin both Thor and Bruce are currently in Rohan."

"Well they can get here even sooner than we did!" Pippin replied thinking he understood what Denethor's problem was. Seeing the looks Gandalf, Boromir and Rogers exchanged in response to this, Pippin then checked to be sure with "Can't they?"

"Let me put it this way Pippin." Rogers began explaining. "If Bruce wasn't your friend how would you feel towards Hulk?"

The Took exclaimed without hesitation "I'd be scared stiff!"

"That's how my father would feel if we were now to tell him what Hulk and Thor are capable of." Boromir picked up on Rogers' theme. "Gondor and Rohan may be allies Pippin. But as you witnessed in the Golden Hall - my father and King Theoden suspect and mistrust each other. My father could think that Theoden will use Thor and Hulk to extract heavy concessions from him as the price for Rohan coming to our aid!"

As far as Pippin knew, a hobbit wouldn't even hesitate to help put out a fire that threatened the home of any hobbit. Including the home of the hobbit they most disliked. No dislike towards somebody was of greater worth than an obligation to help him or her in the face of mutual danger. What was wrong with the Race of Men not to see this simple truth?

"As Treebeard once said, that doesn't make much sense to me." Pippin answered. "But I promise I won't say anything Boromir." After a pause Pippin then added with trepidation, "If only because I don't want Gandalf the White scold me about having a loose tongue like Gandalf the Grey did!"

"In that case Peregrin Took," Gandalf lectured him with mild forbearance "there are other things you should make no reference to in front of the Steward. Make no mention of Aragorn. As well as what you overhead when you spied on the Council of Elrond. Or –"

"Gee whiz Gandalf!" Rogers interrupted slightly annoyed at Gandalf's tone to Pippin. "You could've simply said leave all the talking to Boromir and yourself!"

Rogers thought that when it came to making enigmatic threats, Gandalf would give Fury a good run for his money at being 'The Spy' that Stark often talked about.

* * *

Inside the Tower Hall were rows of tall pillars, carved monoliths of black marble crowned with capitals exhibiting figures of beasts and leaves, upheld the vaulted ceiling of gold and flowing traceries. Flanking the pillars were spacious aisles lit by deep windows and between the pillars were man-sized marble statues of Gondor's long-dead kings. Rogers thought the facial features on each statue he passed by had some resemblance to Aragorn.

At the far end of the Hall was a dais of many steps which supported the white-marble throne of the High King of Gondor. On the grey-marble wall directly behind the throne was the embossed image of a flowering tree. A large bronze crown hanged directly over the throne. Rogers realised that this throne had'nt a rightful occupant for nearly a millenia. And from what he last remembered of Aragon, it was still uncertain whether it would have a king to occupy it ever again.

Next to the lowest step of the dais to the right was an unadorned black seat. The seat of the Steward. Unlike the throne, this seat was occupied by its current office holder.

Rogers thought that Denethor to be as tall as his eldest son but with a more portly build. His straggly, grey shoulder-length contained some shades of the brown it once was. Fittingly for his position, Denethor wore a sumptuous, long-sleeved ermine robe that was black in colour.

Seeing the Steward in his seat of power reminded Rogers of when he first encountered Theoden in the Golden Hall. Denethor didn't seem to be under a spell like Theoden was at the time. Despite Boromir saying his rule was 'failing', Denethor's square-jawed face still projected an assured and authoritative bearing. But nonetheless Rogers could see in the Steward's blue eyes feelings of jadedness and even sorrow. Those same eyes momentarily took on a different feel when the Fellowship members came to within a few yards of where Denethor sat.

"My son!" Denethor greeted Boromir with barely restrained joy. He stood and began walking towards Boromir with arms wide open.

"Words can't describe how happy I am to see you again father!" Boromir replied in a similar manner.

After the Steward and his favoured son shared a heartfelt embrace, Denethor quickly ran his eye over Boromir.

"You've grown thin in your absence!" Denethor observed with a smile in his voice. "I shall ensure the servants prepare a meal fit for Gondor's finest champion!"

"Thank you father." Boromir humbly replied as he and Denethor softly broke their embrace "But I am not the only one in need of such nourishment. As you can see I have companions who shared in my journey here."

Rogers thought that Denethor only gave him and Pippin a fleeting glance. The Steward's face hardened and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Gandalf though. Obviously Theoden wasn't the only Middle-earth identity that Denethor had misgivings towards. If the feeling was mutual between the pair it wasn't apparent in the respectful greeting Gandalf gave Denethor.

"Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion, Lord and Steward of Gondor! In this dark hour Lord Boromir brings not only three companions but also their tidings and counsel to you."

"I'm sure he does Mithrandir." Denethor coldly replied with a voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's been so interminably long since my ears last heard your advice that I've forgotten its quality."

Denethor promptly turned his back and returned to sit in his chair. Rogers noted that Boromir momentarily shut his eyes in embarrassment at his father's impoliteness. Once seated again, Denethor gave Gandalf another backhanded insult

"But I'm sure you'll understand Mithrandir the tidings I first want to hear are from the mouth of my son." Satisfied that Gandalf got his message, Denethor then resumed a friendly and caring tone as he asked Boromir "Why have you taken so long to return home Boromir?"

"I assure you father it wasn't by any design on my part." Boromir explained. "A major reason for my delay was that I assisted Gandalf in the defence of Rohan."

Denethor's eyes narrowed at this and subjected Boromir to an intense glare. Boromir knew he only received that look from his father when his words or actions displeased him. The look made Boromir uncomfortable now as it did when he received it as a young boy.

"As Captain of the White Tower the defence of Gondor should always be your priority" the Steward coolly reminded Boromir. "Both of us know better than anyone how dire our situation is. We don't have the luxury of sparing even a single soldier from defending anything than our own borders. Theoden has never grasped this! Why else does he think I have rejected his countless requests for aid?" Denethor looked downwards to his left as he bitterly mused of Theoden, "The fool thinks the few bands of bandits and wild-men that threaten Rohan should receive greater priority from me than the many legions of Mordor that threaten Gondor. If anything he's the one who should've been offering _me_ aid over these long years!"

_Where recently I have heard all this before?_ Rogers sarcastically thought as he recalled Theoden asking why Rohan should help Gondor. It would be high tragedy bordering on farce if Gondor and Rohan fell because their respective leaders didn't want to help each other unknowingly for the same reason.

Boromir was a bit unsettled by Denethor. He couldn't recall the last time his father had so plainly called into question his military judgment.

"Father, please believe Gondor's defence was one of my foremost reasons why I elected to help Rohan." Boromir calmly, but urgently assured Denethor. "If Rohan fell to Isengard then Gondor would now find itself having to fight a new enemy pouring unhindered across its western border!"

"Your son speaks the truth milord." Gandalf intervened. "But even with Saruman defeated, the danger facing Gondor continues to grow. Mordor will soon launch an attack on Gondor that will make all its previous ones pale in comparison!"

The Steward didn't care for the conversation he was having with his favoured son being interrupted by the wizard.

"For all your subtleties Mithrandir you have not wisdom." Denethor replied with a restrained snarl. "Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know."

Pippin was glad he had opted to remain quiet so far during this discussion. He and Gandalf had been antagonists on a number of occasions. But their disputes were never with malice like that currently on display. It would be unfair to describe Denethor as 'evil'. But the Steward seemed to be unaware that being arrogant and mean-spirited wasn't something to be proud of either. Pippin concluded Denethor would probably be one of the last people who'd entertain a wager about Hulk especially if it was put to him in jest.

Gandalf gave a subtly brusque rejoinder to Denethor "Then you would know, 'Steward', that the enemy is on your doorstep! Your son may be Gondor's Captain-General but ultimately you are charged with the defence of this city. Where are Gondor's armies ready to protect it?!"

Gandalf calmed himself knowing he couldn't use this tone to convince the Steward. Creating dissension within the ranks of his enemies was one of Sauron's greatest tools. The Valar principally sent the Istari to Middle-earth to persuade and guide the Free Peoples to unite against the Dark Lord of Mordor. Gandalf sadly reflected that he was probably now the only one remaining from his order still fully focused on this task.

"Milord, you still have friends." Gandalf pointed out in gentle encouragement to Denethor. "Gondor is not alone in this fight! Send word to Theoden by lighting the beacons."

"Tell me Boromir did Mithrandir tell you who currently rides with Theoden?" Denethor questioned his son in a tone that simultaneously mocked Gandalf. "Did he mention his plan to use us as a shield against Mordor while he concurrently supplants our house as Gondor's rightful rulers? Namely with a certain bedraggled Ranger from the North called 'Aragorn, son of Arathorn'?"

Rogers thought that Denethor must have a highly placed agent within the Golden Hall to know of Aragorn's existence. Rogers didn't realise that the Steward got his intelligence about Aragorn from a different source than a 'human asset'. Unaware of this, Rogers wondered how much information Denethor's agent had passed on in relation to the Avengers. Boromir was able to shed some light on this matter.

"It's not just Rohan that we can count as an ally father." Boromir replied thinking it best to divert discussion about Aragorn for a number of reasons. He then stood a bit straighter and directed his left hand in Rogers' direction. Boromir's chest filled with pride as he introduced the Avenger to Denethor "Father, it's my greatest honour to introduce Captain Steven Rogers from America to you!"

"'America'?" a puzzled Denethor repeated. No land in Middle-earth went by this name in any tongue. Since when did his firstborn start spouting such nonsense? Unlike Mithrandir, at least this 'Rogers' knew not to speak unless spoken to. All Rogers gave the Steward was a polite nod of respect in response to Boromir's introduction.

"Yes father!" Boromir enthused oblivious to his father's scepticism. "America is a great nation of Men that's been previously unknown to us. Captain Rogers carries the title of being his nation's champion. I encountered Ste-, I mean Captain Rogers, on my return journey here. I can personally vouch that he is one of the greatest warriors and strategists that I've ever known. Once you get to know him as I have, you'll agree having Captain America in our ranks will be a great aid in our defence against Mordor!"

Denethor pondered his son's words with a face that would've served him well at any poker table. The Steward released an annoyed sigh before speaking directly at Gandalf.

"Mithrandir I tolerate you turning Faramir against me because his uses are few." Denethor told the wizard believing he was responsible for Boromir's uncharacteristic words and behaviour. "However I will not allow you do the same to Boromir. He's the only one of my two sons that always seeks to do his father's will." Boromir inwardly winced at this remark as Denethor continued to lecture Gandalf "Let me make things clear to you. Gondor will see to its own defences. It does not need the aid of Rohirrim, Rangers, or imaginary lands that I'm supposed to believe dresses its soldiers in the garb of court jesters!"

Boromir was privately dismayed that his father had, by implication, totally disbelieved everything he had just said about Rogers. He wouldn't disrespect his father in the presence of the other Fellowship members. But Boromir decided to privately apologise to them later for Denethor's behaviour. In truth, Denethor owed him a private apology as well. How could his own father even believe he was anyone's puppet?

"Now if you'll excuse me but there are some matters I wish to discuss with my son in private without threat of interruption." Denethor insincerely apologised. "Wait in the Court of the Fountain outside before a servant shows you and your two companions to your guest chambers."

It took great discipline for Gandalf not to roll his eyes in disgust at Denethor's attitude before he turned on his heel to leave the Tower Hall. Rogers and Pippin quickly followed behind him. After the three had exited the Hall, Denethor signalled the Citadel Guards in the Hall to leave as well.

"Now then," Denethor remarked to Boromir after this happened "we can discuss in private what is most important." Denethor then leaned in his seat towards Boromir with a gleam in his eye before expectantly asking him "Did you get what I asked of you? Did you return from Rivendell with the mighty gift that will change our fortunes in this war?"

Boromir had practiced this conversation in his head during the ride to Minas Tirith. Boromir thought about the answers he'd prepared for his father's likely questions. Those answers wouldn't be outright lies. But Boromir thought it best to keep hidden the Council's ultimate decision about the One Ring. Boromir resolved not to betray Frodo a second time even if Denethor put him on a rack to extract the truth. Boromir exhaled a deep breath before delivering his report to his father.

* * *

Gandalf began quietly fuming once he, Pippin and Rogers were back outside again.

"All has turned to vain ambition!" he bitterly observed of Denethor. "He would even use his own son to prop up his rule and pride!"

"Back home we call it 'living through your children'." Rogers ever so marginally jested.

Gandalf subtly snorted his agreement to the wisdom of that Earth observation before sadly remarking of Minas Tirith, "A thousand years this city has stood. Now, at the whim of a madman, it will fall. And the White Tree, the tree of the king, will never bloom again."

The trio began walking towards the eastern embrasure of the 'ship-keel' that divided Minas Tirith.

"Look Gandalf," Rogers began "Boromir told me that he and Faramir's mother died a few years after Faramir's birth. He said something along the lines of Faramir taking a lot after their mom is painful to Denethor. I know that's bad enough but is that the only reason Denethor dislikes his youngest son?"

"Your astute powers of observation are not just confined to the battlefield Steve." Gandalf complimented him. "In many ways Faramir is a bit like Bruce. They both possess a gentle heart and scholarly nature. They've only learned the fighting arts from circumstance rather than choice. Denethor believes his youngest son should've concentrated on being a great warrior like Boromir. He blames me for being responsible for Faramir's love of books and lore as if such interests are unworthy of a Son of the Steward."

"I don't know if you have something like it in Middle-earth," Rogers began "but a famous proverb on Earth is 'The pen is mightier than the sword'."

Gandalf reflected on this for a moment before remarking "Seemingly like on Earth, many in this world forget that wisdom is what makes a ruler great more than a strong sword-arm. Denethor secretly fears that Faramir sees me as more a father than his own. It's a tragedy that Faramir has to feel ashamed of his many qualities in seeking his father's love. Faramir feels that to be the man his father wants him to be, he has to reject being the man he truly is."

Gandalf's reflections came to an end when the trio reached the embrasure. Looking to the eastern horizon, Pippin and Rogers got their first clear view of Mordor.

"Mordor?" Pippin uneasily guessed.

"Yes, there it lies." Gandalf confirmed with a sigh. "This city has dwelt ever in the sight of its shadow."

Rogers reflected that Minas Tirith 'living in the shadow of Mordor' was both metaphorical and literal. The dark, impenetrable mountain range that formed Mordor's western border was plain to see, as were the volcanic eruptions from Mount Doom further eastward. Rogers remembered Aragorn once mentioning that Mount Doom was about four and a half thousand feet tall from its base. But unlike any volcano on Earth, Mount Doom's eruptions were tainted with a powerful evil aura. Every eruption was an angry orange-red in colour. The colour was eerily similar to that of the sky he saw in the image of Mordor triumphant via Galadriel's Mirror. From these eruptions spewed out a dark black ash-cloud that seemed to be getting larger by the minute.

"A storm is coming from the east." Pippin observed. The only clouds he could remember anywhere near as dark as those currently over Mordor were those that released hailstones.

"A storm is coming Pippin." Gandalf agreed. "But it is not the weather of the world. This is a device of Sauron's making. A broil of fume he sends ahead of his host."

"Smart." Rogers bitterly praised the Dark Lord. "The cloud will nullify the disadvantage Mordor's orcs have when they fight in daylight."

"That is one purpose for this fume but it isn't the main one Steve." Gandalf informed him. "The fume isn't natural cloud cover. The cloud would normally be spread over a much wider area. Instead, the Enemy concentrates its strength over the skies of Minas Tirith and the Field of Pelennor. It's an act of very potent sorcery by Sauron. So potent that even I can't displace it and Thor is not yet strong enough to be immune from its effects either."

Rogers turned his attention to Gandalf and asked him with quiet concern "What do you mean exactly Gandalf?"

Gandalf arched a worried eyebrow as he answered "In the upcoming battle here, Thor will find he won't be able call on the elements of the storm to aid us."

Rogers rolled his eyes in frustrated alarm at this unwelcome news.

"Great!" he sarcastically lamented. "I planned for Thor's lightning to give the Rohirrim a much greater offensive punch when they got here. Now he's only slightly better than when we first came through the vortex!"

Gandalf sought to allay Rogers' bitter disappointment at this development.

"Thor could still regain enough strength to counter the fume in that regard by the time he gets here. But the fume can't nullify all the advantages the Avengers can bring to bear."

"You mean the Other Guy?" Pippin guessed with some excitement. The Took hoped the Orcs of Mordor would have the same look on their faces as those of Isengard when they heard "Hulk Smash!" for the first time.

There was a twinkle in Gandalf's eye at the hope contained in Pippin's question. Gandalf found it an amusing that a power that would strike fear into the heart of the fiercest dragon had won a fond place in the heart of a peace-loving hobbit.

"There is that Pippin." Gandalf conceded. "But in the upcoming battle, Thor will be able to use other powers of his for the first time since coming to Middle-earth. Powers the Dark Lord is unaware of and has made no plans to counter…"

* * *

**This chapter has been a bit longer than I planned but I thought it important to address a few issues at the start.**

'**Hirgon' is in recognition of the Gondor herald who gives the Red Arrow to Theoden in the book. 'Whitfoot' is the innkeeper of 'The Green Dragon' in LOTRO. Faramir will make his first full appearance in the next chapter.**

**I've read John Noble's hair was brown in colour when he was younger.**

**I've simplified the history behind the White Tree for the sake of this crossover's plot.**


	32. The King's Gambit

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

12/06/2013

There was some comment about the Istari in the reviews of the last chapter. Third Spoiler Alert: There will be no attempt on my part to resolve canonical doubt about the ultimate fate of Radagast and the two Blue Wizards in this story.

**Brad W:** Ang Lee's film of Hulk understated Banner's traumatic childhood and as far as I can tell I don't think any film that's part of the _The Avengers_ franchise has even touched on it. I didn't want to second-guess if future instalments could raise this rather than to downplay the abuse Banner suffered.

**Nimbus Llewelyn:** In some aspects I exemplify the observation that politics is show business for ugly people ;)

**Kimichan13:** I hope the War of the Ring I have planned for this story will be fittingly epic for both franchises.

**Crow T R0bot**: I must admit that's the first I've been made aware of those telemovies. I wonder if Sir Christopher was chosen to play 'General Miguel' from him playing a few years earlier the character 'Francisco Scaramanga' in a movie that's part of another famous franchise?

* * *

**Chapter 32 – The King's Gambit**

Denethor justified his decision not to let Gandalf, Pippin and Rogers to stay in one of the Citadel's guest quarters because the trio weren't heads of state or their official representatives. The truth was the Steward wanted to keep Gandalf distant from the centre of Gondor's power as much as possible. If only to reduce the wizard's opportunities to lead Boromir astray any further.

Nonetheless the trio were assigned two spacious apartments on the fifth level of the city. As Gandalf and Pippin shared one of them, Rogers had joined them for supper from his apartment that was located on the floor below. Both apartments had wide balconies that looked eastwards with a view similarly offered from the Citadel. Pippin was inside boiling hot water so the trio could each have a cup of tea before bed. Rogers stood to Gandalf's right as they faced east and discussed what Boromir had told them an hour before.

With his return to Minas Tirith, the Captain of the White Tower was now a man whose time was much in demand. Boromir was able to given the other Fellowship members a short debrief about his private meeting with Denethor. Boromir felt he didn't owe keeping any confidences of his father's from that meeting given how rude Denethor was to the Fellowship earlier that day.

As expected, Denethor was angry with Boromir for not returning with the One Ring. Never mind the fact the Council of Elrond flatly rejected Denethor's argument of the Ring going to Gondor despite Boromir faithfully articulating it. Boromir unknowingly followed Aragorn's example at Amon Hen when he lied by omission to Denethor by saying he was unaware of the Ring's current whereabouts. Denethor furiously dismissed his son before Boromir had the chance to argue that he should lead some companies to reinforce the garrison at Osgiliath.

Gandalf and Rogers spoke in hushed tones so as not to alert Pippin about the subject of their discussion. It was if the Fellowship should unilaterally light the Beacons of Gondor. Rogers strongly advised against it.

"Look, Boromir's gone out on enough of a limb for us already." Rogers pointed out. "I understand why you want to do it Gandalf. But if we start the beacons ourselves it could further undermine what sway Boromir still has with his father. He said that he'd take up the issue again tomorrow when hopefully Denethor's in a better mood. Let's at least allow him that before doing something we could all end up regretting."

"I don't disagree with those points in themselves Steve." Gandalf conceded. "But if Denethor continues in his refusal to the light the beacons, all Middle-earth could end up regretting our loyalty to Boromir on this matter."

"Well they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions!" Rogers sighed.

Gandalf remembered hearing this word 'hell' before from that vision he had of Rogers' friend. Before he had a chance to ask Rogers what it meant, Pippin interrupted him. The Took stood to his left while waiting for the teapot to draw.

"It's so quiet." Pippin commented at the lack of background noise. Even the eruptions from Mount Doom had reduced in volume. Pippin knew it would be too much to hope that perhaps Mordor wouldn't be attacking after all.

"Following on from what you said earlier Pippin – it's the calm before the storm." Rogers advised.

"I don't want to be in a battle," Pippin explained with nerves showing "but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse!"

"Courage is about facing fear not being immune to it Pippin." Rogers comforted the hobbit. "I remember before we left Lothlorien that Galadriel said you'd find your courage. She wouldn't have given you one of those 'nice shiny daggers' as Sam called them if she thought otherwise."

"Steve is right Pippin." Gandalf added in agreement before observing with restrained sadness "Unlike myself, the Lady of Lothlorien isn't one to hold onto a fool's hope."

There was a short pause as Roger and Pippin each silently tried to decipher what Gandalf meant by 'fool's hope'. Rogers spoke when he thought he knew what Gandalf was referring to.

"Aside from countless orcs and trolls what else is Sauron likely to be throwing at us in this battle?" Rogers asked the wizard.

Gandalf noted that Rogers and Pippin didn't realise he was referring to the chance Frodo and Sam had of destroying the Ring. He decided to keep that thought private for now. But Rogers' question about the enemy's order of battle was important enough to be answered immediately.

"Our Enemy is ready." Gandalf stonily advised. "His full strength gathered. The nations of Men allied to Mordor have answered Sauron's call to arms. Many legions of Easterlings, Haradrim from the south, and mercenaries from the coast are all converging on Gondor."

"But we have the Avengers and the White Wizard." Pippin pointed out with quiet confidence. "That's got to count for something!"

Rogers thought that Pippin would make a great morale officer in any organisation. Rogers then noticed the way Gandalf had reacted to Pippin's remark. The White Wizard looked to the eastern horizon with a troubled look on his face. Pippin had noticed Gandalf's reaction too.

"Gandalf?" Pippin prompted.

"Sauron has yet to release his deadliest servant, the one who will lead Mordor's armies in war." Gandalf grimly advised the pair before he turned his gaze to Pippin. "You've met him before Pippin. He was the one who stabbed Frodo on Weathertop – the Witch-king of Angmar!"

Rogers held back from flippantly observing Sauron's deadliest servant had an oxymoron for a title. The fact that Gandalf seemed to think this 'Witch-king' was a foe to worry about destroyed all sense of levity.

"Who is he?" Rogers asked to get a better idea of what kind of foe the Witch-king was.

Gandalf now looked at Rogers as he answered "He is the Lord of the Nazgul, the greatest of the Nine. The one they say Steve that no living man can kill."

"I don't take what you say lightly Gandalf." Rogers prefaced. "But I've never believed in the concept of an unbeatable enemy. For example, by 'man' is that observation about race or gender? Because if it's the former, there's a good chance he's at least vulnerable to a living God of Thunder and probably living Hulk as well."

"As Sauron grows in power so do the Nazgul who are but a direct extension of his will." Gandalf reminded Rogers of his words at the meeting held within the Edoras Royal Stables. "Deep within his lair of Minas Morgul, the Witch-king will emerge with his strength at a level greater than it's been for a millennia."

Rogers assumed 'Minas' must mean 'city' in some language of Middle-earth. But the most important thing to him right now was determining how close the Witch-king's base of operations was to Minas Tirith. His question was dramatically answered without a word being spoken.

Just to the north-east a bright green-white beam of light shot skywards from within the mountains that made up Mordor's western border. The light was witnessed throughout all Minas Tirith. Both Pippin and Rogers had the same initial reaction to the light. Pippin recalled what the Avengers had told about their battle against a race whose strange name began with a 'C'.

"Is that like the sorcery Thor's brother used to allow those metal monsters to invade Earth from the sky?" Pippin asked Rogers in alarm.

"Something like that Pippin." Rogers answered slightly unnerved when he combined that memory with the sight before him. The technology that Loki used seemed like some form of magic even to modern Earth standards. "But whatever that light is I'm confident that it's not a way into Middle-earth for the Chitauri."

"Are you certain?" Pippin needed reassurance on this.

"The Chitauri portal over New York was from a bright blue light whereas this light's green." Rogers hoped that Pippin accepted this. _If I'm wrong Pippin we'll be finding out in the next few minutes when the Battle for Minas Tirith starts_ Rogers thought with black humour.

"The board is set." Gandalf seriously intoned. "The pieces are moving."

"You make all this sound like a chess game Gandalf." Rogers wryly observed.

A pleasantly surprised Gandalf turned his gaze to Rogers and asked him "You have chess on Earth as well?"

After Rogers nodded in confirmation, Gandalf wondered if one of those 'vortexes' that sent the Avengers from Earth to Middle-earth played some part in chess being common to both worlds.

With his nerves settled that at least he wasn't going to be caught in a surprise Chitauri attack, Pippin reflected with self-deprecation "If this is a game of chess then I am but a tiny pawn in it."

"Pawns are the soul of chess Pippin." Rogers advised him with a smile.

Despite the dire situation, Gandalf gave a good-humoured laugh in response to hearing this observation for the first time.

"That's very true!" the White Wizard mirthfully agreed.

Gandalf reflected that Captain America and Hobbits had at least one thing in common. Both unknowingly gave him courage whenever he felt afraid.

* * *

It was early morning the following day. In the absence of Denethor's permission to reinforce Osgiliath, Boromir had decided to focus on preparing the White City's defences. As Captain of the White Tower it was within the scope of his authority to do this without necessarily having to refer to the Steward. The beam of light that originated from Minas Morgul the previous evening had since ceased. Boromir correctly deduced it was a spectacular indication from the Witch-king to Sauron that Mordor's assault was ready to commence.

Boromir was giving Rogers a tour of Minas Tirith's defences commencing on the first level. It wasn't just a tour out of professional courtesy. Boromir was treating Rogers as an unofficial military adviser to him despite the contempt Denethor had shown his friend. As Minas Tirith was now on a defacto war footing, Boromir was no longer wearing the Gondorian vestments the Fellowship was accustomed with. Boromir was now wearing the suit of armour he wore when going into battle.

Boromir's armour was a finer quality version of the suit of armour worn by regular Gondorian soldiers. The armour worn by Gondorian regulars was similar in most aspects to that worn by the Citadel Guard. One obvious difference was there was no semi-circle of a golden crown and stars over the embossed Tree of Gondor on the cuirass. Regulars also did not wear a fine black cloak and their barbut helms had no crests. Boromir was not currently wearing a helmet. But upon his pauldrons were two steel clasps fastening a narrow, navy-blue cloak that Gondor's army used to indicate its high-ranking officers.

Rogers was therefore quietly impressed at how quickly Boromir was able to run wearing such an encumbrance. The sentries posted along the Othram had had spotted something and were urgently calling out for the Great Gate to be opened. Boromir and Rogers both climbed the stairs to the Othram just south of the Great Gate to see what the commotion was.

Galloping directly towards Minas Tirith was a cavalry company that was a few dozen members in size. They were the only survivors of the Gondorian force that was stationed at Osgiliath. The attack launched from Minas Morgul last night had been proceeded by an amphibious assault by thousands of orcs across the Anduin on Osgiliath's western bank. The retreating Gondorians indicated that this assault had been successful but that was not the current cause of alarm. Three Nazgul on their fell-beasts swept through the ranks of the retreating Gondorians from above. The fell-beasts lifted the Gondorians and their steeds in their large talons before dropping them from a fatal height. The numbers of retreating Gondorians were decreasing by the moment.

"Archers! Prepare to release a cover fire at my command!" Boromir ordered all sentries on the wall with loud urgency.

Rogers, who was to Boromir's left, said to him in quiet alarm "I hate to say it Boromir, but by the time those things are in range you're not going to have any cavalry to protect!"

Boromir didn't take his gaze off the sight before him as he replied to Rogers in a similar tone "Unfortunately my friend none of us can summon lightning to deal with the Nazgul like Thor can!"

Boromir turned his gaze to speak to Rogers – who had vanished! The mystery of his friend's disappearance was solved moments later when one of the sentries shouted to Boromir while pointing ahead, "Milord look at the Blue Runner!"

Despite getting to know him quite well, Boromir still continued to be amazed at what Captain America was capable of. Rogers must have no less than quietly jumped straight down from the top of the Othram before beginning a flat out sprint towards the survivors in order to aid them! Boromir and most of the sentries were so caught up in the sight of Rogers that they failed to notice a White Rider exiting the now open Great Gate with the same intentions as the Avenger had.

While sprinting Rogers didn't even bother to pull down his mask. He quickly drew his shield from his back. When in range of the Nazgul, he threw his shield with his right hand as if throwing a discus. The shield sped through the air before cutting the abdomens of two the fell-beasts while in flight. Because Rogers had to throw his shield at great range while running these cuts didn't have enough force to be fatal. Rogers bitterly consoled himself that the cuts must have at least been painful to those beasts given the grating reptilian roars they released in response. All three Nazgul now moved towards him instead of the surviving defenders of Osgiliath as his shield returned to his hand. Rogers planned to grab the Nazgul's attention long enough to allow those retreating to get back to Minas Tirith unhindered. Rogers hoped it wasn't arrogance on his part to be relying on his shield and Super-Solider reflexes to avoid becoming a victim of the Nazgul himself. He didn't get to put this to the test as the Nazgul sharply flew back when subject to a beam of bright white light that came from behind him.

Rogers looked behind and wasn't surprised to see the light's source was the tip of Gandalf's staff. Gandalf rode with Pippin in front of him on Shadowfax towards the Nazgul. Rogers meant no disrespect to the skill and character of the other members. But he had no doubt that if Fury was allowed to recruit only one member of the original Fellowship to the ranks of the Avengers it would be Gandalf. If only because 'White Wizard' would have a nice ring alongside the identities and titles the six current Avengers were each better known by. The three Nazgul fled east back towards Mordor in the face of Gandalf's power.

Having driven off the Nazgul, Gandalf terminated the light from his staff with a mental command. The three Fellowship members currently on the Field of Pelennor then led the survivors from Osgiliath back to Minas Tirith. These survivors had been shaken to their very core by a combination of Mordor's dawn assault, the terror of the Nazgul, the White Wizard's display of power, and a man dressed and capable of feats unlike any they had ever seen!

The Great Gate closed as soon as the last rider had passed through it into the large courtyard that was directly behind it. Rogers didn't need to catch a breath as such but he appreciated the opportunity to get a better look at the survivors he played a part in rescuing. Some of these soldiers wore heavy armour like those stationed at Minas Tirith. Others though just wore green cloaks with jackets and trousers brown and grey in colour. They carried longbows and swords for weapons. Rogers deduced these particular soldiers had to be those 'Rangers' that Boromir mentioned earlier. Obviously the colour of their clothing was to enable them to camouflage in forests when scouting or launching an ambush. The leader of these survivors looked to be a Ranger. He had similar hair and facial features to Boromir even though he was about an inch shorter in height.

"Mithrandir!" the leader exclaimed to Gandalf. "Mordor's forces have broken through our defences at Osgiliath. They've taken the bridge and the west bank. Battalions of Orcs are crossing the river!"

A concerned Gandalf asked the leader "Do you know how great they are in number Faramir?"

'_Looks like' indeed!_ Rogers happily realised. The leader was none other than Boromir's younger brother!

Faramir's reply to Gandalf contained very unwelcome news, "Not an accurate count other than to say tens of thousands." Faramir wanted to say more but was halted when his attention was grabbed by Pippin. Pippin started to feel slightly uncomfortable by the gaze that Faramir was giving him.

Noticing Faramir's gaze, Gandalf asked him with a rising sense of hope "This is not the first Halfling to have crossed your path is it Faramir?"

"No." Faramir absently answered while recalling a recent memory.

Pippin jumped to the conclusion that Gandalf had been coming to.

"You've seen Frodo and Sam!" he exclaimed now feeling considerably brighter than when Faramir first looked at him.

A now fully focused Faramir confirmed "In Ithilien not two days ago."

Gandalf, Pippin and Rogers all shared happy and relieved looks. Not only were Frodo and Sam alive but they were also closer to completing their task! Faramir felt a bit guilty that he would take away the trio's joy when he advised of the path the two hobbits had taken with their wretched guide.

"Gandalf, they've taken the road to the Morgul Vale." Faramir plainly stated with a troubled undercurrent in his voice.

The smile on Gandalf's face immediately faded and his eyes filled with worry. With quiet alarm he spoke what Faramir was alluding to, "And then the Pass of Cirith Ungol."

"I'm sorry Gandalf what are those places?" Rogers asked. Given the look on Gandalf's face, the Avenger thought maybe he shouldn't have asked that question. Gandalf was interrupted by a loud cry before he could speak in any case.

"Faramir!" Boromir shouted to gain his brother's attention having just come down from the Othram.

"_Boromir!"_ Faramir ecstatically replied at the sight of his brother's return.

Faramir jumped down from his horse and ran up to embrace Boromir. As the two Sons of the Steward hugged each other with unrestrained joy and relief, Rogers thought that Boromir's previous words didn't do justice as to how close the brothers actually were. They loosened themselves before they spoke to each other in happy tones.

"How long since you have returned to us?" Faramir asked Boromir.

"I arrived with Gandalf and two other mutual friends yesterday morning." Boromir reported.

"I'm glad to hear it!" Faramir stated before observing awkwardly, "I only wish I could've have given you a better welcome than losing the defences that you held for so many years."

Boromir instantly sobered at this as he knew the source of Faramir's words. He softly grasped Faramir's head between his hands and locked eyes with him.

"I am not the man of our father's words Faramir." Boromir told him with deep gravitas.

"What do you mean Boromir?" a slightly unnerved Faramir replied. Faramir had been holding onto the hope that Sam was mistaken about the foul deed he alleged Boromir had committed.

"What I mean little brother," Boromir promised "is that whatever your battles left in this war, I will be fighting alongside of you in all of them!" Boromir noted the confused expression Faramir gave in response to these words before quickly placing his left arm around his younger brother's shoulders. "But come!" Boromir returned to a happier tone. "There's someone I'd very much like you to meet!"

Boromir led Faramir over the few yards to where Rogers was standing. Boromir was relieved that, unlike Denethor, there seemed to be no change in Faramir from when he last saw him. On that basis Boromir was more than confident that his brother would give Captain America a much warmer reception than their father did.

"In many ways he's already dramatically announced himself to you without a word being spoken!" Boromir continued before he and Faramir stood directly facing Rogers. "Faramir its my pleasure to introduce you t-"

"With your flying shield you must be the one called 'Rogers'." Faramir interrupted by directly speaking to the Avenger.

"Frodo and Sam told you about me?" Rogers asked after concluding the only obvious way that Faramir could've known about him.

Faramir nodded his head in confirmation before continuing.

"As well as your two comrades. Unfortunately our company was called to Osgiliath before I could ask Frodo about the three of you in any great detail. He told me of a warrior-prince named 'Thor' who wields a magic hammer and a scholar named 'Bruce' who can call on great strength when angered." Frodo had said one other thing about the trio that Faramir sought clarification from Rogers on, "He said the three of you form half of a company that is known in your land as 'The Averages'?"

Boromir burst out in happy laughter at Faramir's mistake.

"Oh little brother!" Boromir mirthfully sighed before advising Faramir "You couldn't be more wrong about that name in so many ways!"

* * *

Boromir and Rogers resumed their tour a while later after Faramir and the other survivors of Osgiliath were being cared for. Both men looked across the main Drill Square that was part of the main barracks and complex of military academies on the first level of Minas Tirith. They were witnessing a large number of Gondorian soldiers conducting exercises and drills. Footmen practised attack with their spears and swords while defending with their shields. Archers and Rangers practiced firing their long bows at 'bullseye' targets both stationary and those swayed by a system of ropes.

Rogers compared Gondor's military with that of Rohan's. Rohan's military was organised along classic feudal lines with a handful of elite warriors that called on self-equipped levees to support them on an 'as needs' basis. Gondor's in comparison looked to be compromised of professional regulars with standard equipment and training. Given Gondor was the frontline against Mordor it was no surprise it needed a permanent-standing army ready to fight at a moment's notice.

From what Boromir had told Rogers, Gondor had a small number of fine cavalry squadrons. But there was no doubt that Gondor's military doctrine had heavy infantry at its core. Well-equipped heavy infantry and highly trained archers behind strong fortifications was obviously Gondor's solution in balancing Mordor's overwhelming numerical advantage. Rogers also reflected that Sauron had practical military reasons to keep Rohan and Gondor alienated from each other. An army that contained both Rohan's cavalry with Gondor's infantry and archers would be a force to be reckoned with no matter the odds.

"What do you think Steve?" Boromir asked his friend at the sight before them with a degree of anxiety.

In the times he met the man, Rogers found General Patton's egotistical and coarse manner grated on his nerves somewhat. But he couldn't deny that 'Old Blood and Guts' was a brilliant and articulate observer about warfare. He paraphrased one of Patton's observations as he answered Boromir's question.

"It's said that wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men." Rogers said before turning his head to face Boromir with a smile. "From what I see before me that's one thing you don't need to me to advise you on Boromir."

Boromir found himself trying not to blush at Roger's compliment. It was the first time he'd heard the observation but he agreed with it whole-heartedly. A herald called out to Boromir a few yards to his right. After excusing himself Boromir walked over to the herald. While Rogers couldn't hear their conversation, whatever the herald said made Boromir distinctly troubled. Boromir returned to Rogers a few moments later.

"Is everything alright?" Rogers asked Boromir with concern.

"Unfortunately there's a matter I need to attend presently." Boromir replied. "I promise that it's nothing you should be alarmed about Steve. But I also promise to leave you in capable hands." Boromir looked directly across the drill square and called out to a long blonde, thin-haired officer who wore a similar armour and livery as himself.

"Captain Irolas!"

Irolas was the commander of all regular forces that garrisoned Minas Tirith. He immediately walked over to Boromir happy that he was going to receive his first orders in a long while from the Captain-General he admired.

"Yes milord!" he responded as soon as he was standing next to the two Fellowship members.

"I've been taking Captain Rogers here on a tour of our defences and seeking his advice on how they could be improved." Boromir told Irolas plainly. "I must now absent myself for the time being and I would like you to takeover from me as guide." There was no doubting the seriousness of Boromir's next words "Any advice Captain Rogers gives to you or any man is to be treated with the same authority as my own!"

Both Rogers and Boromir noticed Irolas' eyes flicker with uncertainty at this. This didn't offend Rogers. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to be wary of having a foreigner, even from an allied nation, having any sort of authority over them. A number of the US top brass often privately disparaged Field Marshal Montgomery in terms Rogers thought the most fanatical Nazi would draw the line at. Rogers decided to give Irolas a face saving way to talk to Boromir privately about whatever was bothering him.

"Boromir is it alright if I take a closer look at that line formation those infantry are practicing?" Rogers asked while jerking his thumb towards a group of soldiers just over a dozen yards to his left.

"By all means Steve!" Boromir replied thankful at how Rogers tactfully defused an awkward situation. Boromir's standing order among Gondor's senior officers was they could respectfully ask questions about any of his directives that were unclear to them. Boromir was pretty sure there was nothing about his order that could be interpreted as ambiguous. He and Irolas began speaking in hushed tones.

"Milord even without the events of this morning I do not doubt your word that Captain Rogers is both a good man and soldier." Irolas quickly moved to assure Boromir.

"Then what troubles you about my order?" Boromir asked in reply.

"Milord as you well know our army has always held to the principle that Gondorians are commanded by Gondorians." Irolas explained. "Even if he is a good man, Captain Rogers could still be perceived as a mercenary by our own men. Given that Mordor's attack will soon be at hand can we afford the risk that our soldiers won't fulsomely obey any order Captain Rogers gives them?"

Boromir thought about this for a few moments before he put his right hand in a friendly fashion on Irolas' left shoulder.

"That is a good point you raise Irolas." Boromir gently acknowledged. "Thank you for stopping me before I made a serious mistake."

Boromir then walked a couple of steps towards Rogers and called out to him "Captain Rogers!" Now that he had Rogers' attention he firmly commanded him "Kneel!"

Boromir understood why Rogers had a troubled look on his face to this order. Remembering what Rogers told him about the last individual who asked Captain America to kneel, Boromir reassured his friend sotto voce "Unlike Loki, I don't ask you to kneel as a sign of surrender Steve."

Boromir was a man of his word so Rogers complied by kneeling with his right leg. This action brought nearly all activity in the square to a halt. All ranks were curious as to why their Captain-General had asked this mysterious man to kneel before him. Boromir began speaking in a firm voice that all in the square heard.

"Steven Rogers," Boromir addressed him formally "all who enter into the service of Gondor are required to swear an oath of allegiance. As you haven't had the opportunity to study the oath, I will ask it to you as a series of questions instead. If you agree with the question, your reply is simply 'I swear'."

Rogers guessed the oath he was about to swear was probably just to formally authorise him to act as a military adviser to Gondor. Rogers began to wonder if he was about to technically breach the Oath of Enlistment he took when joining the US Army. But then again Article 99 of the UCMJ required him to give 'all practicable relief and assistance' to the armed forces of the US or their allies when engaged in battle. Of course the United States and Gondor weren't formal allies. But the struggle in Middle-earth was essentially between free nations and an evil tyrant that wanted to enslave them. Seen through the lens of his WW2 experience, there was no doubt in Rogers' mind which side Uncle Sam would choose to align with in the War of the Ring.

"Do you Steven Rogers hereby swear fealty and service to Gondor and to the Lord Steward of the Realm?" Boromir commenced.

"I swear." Rogers replied returning Boromir's fixated gaze.

"Do you swear you will always faithfully execute you duties - to speak and to be silent? to do and to let be? to come and to go? And that you will execute these duties in need or plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying?"

Rogers felt this exchange between Boromir and himself wasn't just about an oath of professional service. It was also a chance to acknowledge the close bond that had developed between them in the time they had known each other.

"I swear!" Rogers swore more firmly.

"And in front of all these witnesses do you swear to hold to this oath until lord releases you; death takes you or the world end?"

"_I swear!" _Rogers stated with his strongest affirmation yet.

In the absence of the King only the Steward could confer the title of Knight of Gondor on anyone. On that basis Boromir couldn't give the traditional response to the oath that Rogers had just sworn. But Gondor's Captain-General had a great deal of discretion in conferring promotions to all but the very highest ranks in Gondor's army. This was one of the proudest promotions he had ever given. Boromir swallowed a lump in this throat before issuing a proclamation that was heard by all within the Drill Square.

"Then I Boromir, Son of Denethor and Captain of the White Tower hereby commission you Steven Rogers as an Officer in the Army of Gondor with the rank of Autherdir!" Rogers would learn a short while later that 'Autherdir' was the rank equivalent of Colonel in the Gondorian Army. After they shared a mutually proud but restrained grin Boromir then quietly said to Rogers "You can rise now Steve!"

After Rogers was standing, Boromir noticed the pair of them had the attention of the whole Drill Square. Boromir realised his commissioning of Rogers, a foreigner, to be a Gondorian officer was unprecedented in the country's history. But contrary to what Denethor thought, Gondor could no longer afford the superiority complex it customarily felt towards its nominal allies. Boromir's experience with the Fellowship made him come to believe that only by uniting in equal brotherhood did the Free Peoples have a chance of defeating Sauron. His commissioning of Rogers was a powerful demonstration of this truth to Gondor's army. Boromir decided to loudly underline this point in case any of the men present missed it.

"Behold Captain America is now a Captain of Gondor!" Boromir gave a knowing look to Irolas before finishing with "One of us!"

* * *

Faramir was standing to attention in the Tower Hall before Denethor. They were only attended by two Citadel Guards who stood at the doors at the end of the Hall.

The Steward held in his right hand his rod of office. It was a simple, smooth wooden rod that was white in colour and about twelve inches long. A golden knob shaped like a feather rested atop it. Denethor only held this rod on formal occasions or when he wished to subtly intimidate one of his subordinates. Faramir had seen the rod a lot because of the latter reason.

Faramir didn't have much time to recover from Gondor's disastrous defeat at Osgiliath earlier that day. But that was not the cause of his father's latest displeasure towards him. Denethor learned a few hours earlier about Faramir's capture and release of Frodo and Sam two days previous. The Steward was livid with his youngest son. Denethor didn't believe that one even as foolish as Faramir would consciously let slip the One Ring when it was all but within Gondor's grasp! Denethor was even more enraged at Faramir's reasons for doing so.

"I would not use the Ring." Faramir stated as firmly as his nerves allowed. "Not if Minas Tirith were falling in ruin and I alone could save her." Faramir well knew of his father's dislike for him. But couldn't his father at least once see beyond personal dislike and realise the truth that Frodo spoke and demonstrated while in custody? Namely the Ring couldn't save Gondor as it only had the power to destroy.

"Ever you desire to appear lordly and gracious as a king of old." Denethor scoffed in response. He wondered of his two sons if he should've indeed sent Faramir to Rivendell. At least the wizard could've been prevented from gaining the foothold he seemed to have established in Boromir. Still, Denethor remained confident of his firstborn's loyalty to taunt Faramir with "Boromir would have remembered his father's need. He would have brought me a kingly gift."

"No father I wouldn't have!"

None other than Boromir himself whose voice echoed within the Hall interrupted Denethor and Faramir. Boromir had asked a trusted herald within the Citadel to inform him of any interrogation that Denethor had planned for Faramir. Because of his commissioning of Rogers, Boromir wasn't able to arrive in time for the start of this particular interrogation. But at least it appeared that his arrival wasn't too late either.

Boromir resolutely strode to stand alongside right of Faramir. His vow to fight alongside Faramir wasn't just in relation to the forces of Mordor. Boromir gave Faramir a nod of support before continuing to address Denethor.

"I wouldn't have brought the Ring to you or anyone. I would've simply have stretched out my hand and claimed it for my own it. By the time I returned to Gondor you wouldn't have even recognised me!"

"What do you mean Boromir?" a genuinely puzzled Denethor asked him. He soothingly tried to persuade his eldest son "As I told you before you left for Rivendell, the Ring wouldn't corrupt you because you are among the strongest of Men."

Boromir recalled Rogers once telling him a famous Earth proverb – 'The truth shall set you free.' Boromir hoped the truth would at least free him of the guilty conscience he'd been carrying since Amon Hen. It was time to take responsibility for his actions if he was to show Denethor the danger posed by the One Ring.

"Unfortunately father you were wrong about that as well as which of your sons wouldn't fail you." Boromir advised. "I was a member of the Fellowship that was entrusted to take the One Ring to Mount Doom so it could be destroyed. But my own pride and fear got the better of me. Frodo had to leave the Fellowship largely because of me. Such was my desperation for the Ring that in a moment of maddened folly I tried to kill the Ring-bearer despite having sworn an oath to protect him!"

Faramir and Denethor's eyes widened in horror at hearing this revelation of Boromir's for different reasons. Faramir because Sam had indeed spoken the truth and that his own older brother who he'd idolised from childhood was indeed imperfect. Denethor though was disturbed that Gandalf had influenced Boromir worse than he first thought.

Denethor responded to Boromir with in a frosty tone "The only folly I see on your part Boromir was that you had the chance to secure the One Ring but failed to do so as your father asked!"

"The day Gondor considers the murder of an innocent hobbit to be an acceptable action to save herself is the day she deserves to be conquered by Mordor!" Boromir indignantly countered.

Denethor angrily lectured Boromir "As your Lord and Father you are to accept without question the orders I give you including the moral judgment I have made them with!"

The argument was really no longer about if the One Ring should have come to Minas Tirith. Denethor and Boromir had arguments before over the years but never with this intensity. To Denethor, this argument was really about why Boromir was no longer accepting his father's wisdom without question. Whereas for Boromir, this argument was really about Denethor having to accept his sons were now their own men.

"Well father I recall one of your orders being that you charged me to restore the glory of Gondor!" Boromir sharply reminded Denethor. Now this dispute was out in the open, Boromir felt he now had to force the issue like Rogers advised him. "Then I advise you plainly that Gondor's glory will not be restored by any of us using Sauron's most evil creation! Gondor's only hope to survive is to stand alongside our allies and fight together under a single banner."

Boromir paused for a moment to consider his next words could either lead to Gondor's total destruction or ultimate salvation. Whatever the outcome, Boromir wanted history to record that he proclaimed the following words with all the sincerity he had come to believe them.

"The banner of the King of Gondor!"

Denethor's jaw dropped at these words and Faramir's head snapped in his brother's direction. One of Denethor's suspicions about Faramir was partly correct. Gandalf had indeed encouraged in Faramir a healthy interest in the history and lore of Gondor. But Faramir came to the conclusion himself that Gondor's decline and the absence of its rightful king over the last millennia was no coincidence. Faramir secretly yearned to serve a king of the stature of Elendil who would restore Gondor to its former greatness. Until now his brother always accepted their father's view that Gondor no longer needed a king. But what else had happened to Boromir during his absence for him to now be openly calling for the King of Gondor to be restored?

After overcoming his initial shock, Denethor snarled with barely contained wrath at Boromir's 'betrayal'

"I do not like this change in you Boromir that you've displayed ever since your return home! I hope for your sake it's the wizard's words you speak and not your own. As I would say to him on the matter – I will not bow to this Ranger from the North. Last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship!"

"_Aragorn saved my life!_" Boromir responded furiously at his father's defamation of the man. "I've sworn an oath of fealty to him as my Captain and King! Just like the oath sworn by every Steward to watch over Gondor until its throne is reclaimed by Isildur's heir. Authority is not given you or our house to deny the return of Gondor's true king!"

The Steward now lost all composure. How dare Boromir thinly imply that he wasn't Gondor's rightful ruler? An enraged Denethor sprang out of the Steward's chair and stormed to within inches of where Boromir stood.

"_You were once loyal to me!_" Denethor frothed at the mouth fully enraged at Boromir. "Instead of two sons I now have two wizard's pupils!"

Faramir was worried that Denethor and Boromir could now even come to blows. They both shared the same obstinate and short temper. Faramir thought to avoid this outcome he should try and act as a peacemaker between the pair.

"Father that's not true." Faramir gently assured Denethor. "Both of us lo-"

"_SILENCE!_" Denethor screamed at his youngest son before violently striking Faramir's right temple with the Steward's rod.

Faramir fell to the ground sidewards as a result of the blow he had just received. He groggily raised his head and chest from the ground. Blood spilled from the noticeable gash Denethor's blow had inflicted. A tear also fell from his right eye. The pain that caused the tear was not from the physical wound his father had just inflicted on him.

* * *

Boromir was shocked at what had just transpired. His father had never hit any of his sons in such a manner before. This shock was soon replaced by a rising sense of anger. Despite Boromir being the son who was arguing with him, Denethor still chose to lash out at Faramir instead. Boromir recalled Rogers' advice to him two nights ago.

_I can't think of any greater threat to a free nation than when its leaders begin thinking they are above the laws they've sworn to uphold._

Denethor no longer seemed to care about his oath of office if it meant him losing his position of power. The way he struck Faramir, even if it was for a moment of maddened anger, was no better than when Boromir tried to take the Ring from Frodo. Boromir realised he had to stop his father's madness now before all Gondor was consumed by it. He had to at least try to stop Denethor because no one else in Gondor could.

"Guards!" Boromir called out to the pair of guards at the end of the room while he helped Faramir back to his feet. The guards complied and instantly began walking towards the Steward and his Son.

"What are you doing Boromir?" an utterly perplexed Denethor asked. Denethor had been hoisted by his own petard somewhat. One of his standing directives to the Citadel Guard was for them to treat any order from Boromir equal to his own.

"If you feel you can strike out against one of your sons in such a manner then no Son of Gondor can feel safe under your Stewardship!" Boromir firmly replied as the two guards stopped just behind him and Faramir. After the guard behind Faramir supported him with a steady grip, Boromir stated to Denethor "From what I've just witnessed you leave me no choice but to detain you and report this whole incident to the Council of Gondor."

The Council of Gondor was the supreme advisory body to the Ruler of Gondor whether King or Steward. It was comprised of Gondor's highest ranking government officials and military leaders. A Steward didn't have absolute authority over the Council like a King though. The Steward was historically the King's Chief Counsellor but the position was governed by the principle of 'first among equals'. This principle still legally continued during the period of the Ruling Stewards. As such, the current Council still had the authority to at least ask Denethor to account for any action or decision he made.

"By what right to do speak to your father in such a manner?!" Denethor angrily asked through clenched teeth.

"By the laws of Gondor that are its very foundation, handed down to us by none other the Faithful of Numenor!" Boromir strongly justified (He privately remembered Rogers spoke with the same reverence of America's founders - the ones named 'Washington' and 'Jefferson' in particular - that Gondorians gave to theirs). "In the King's absence, the Council of Gondor can remove the Steward from office on grounds of incapacity or impropriety. Nowhere in Gondor's statutes does the Steward have immunity from committing unlawful assault or official oath-breaking!"

Denethor would normally dismiss such a threat if it came from anyone else beside Boromir. Like any good politician, Denethor knew the importance about having the numbers. The Council members were loyal supporters of his. But Rogers' earlier analysis of Denethor fearing Boromir's standing in Gondor was correct. Denethor knew that if Boromir raised this subject at the Council its members would at a bare minimum give very serious consideration to launching an investigation. Given that the Council included military officers whose lives Boromir had saved in battle and led to victory, his firstborn could count on their automatic support and the soldiers they commanded at the very least.

"So this is Mithrandir's plan all along." Denethor bitterly concluded. "His tool to displace me were none other than my two sons. Have them turn against me so he can rule through them as his puppets to effect an ignoble line's return to Gondor!"

Boromir knew he had every right to give an angry response to this. But he wanted to make sure that the noble man he remembered Denethor used to be wasn't completely dead.

"No father!" Boromir gently replied while softly holding his father's shoulders in reassurance. "I'm doing this because I want to help you!"

Boromir noted that at least Denethor didn't try to break free of him as he continued.

"Father no one knows better than me how much strain and stress you've been under in recent years. I told you about my actions toward Frodo to show you that none of us are perfect. If striking Faramir as you have doesn't show you that you are not yourself then nothing will!"

Boromir thought he saw a tiny crack of understanding in Denethor's eyes. He then decided to offer his father a face saving option for the proud man he was.

"Father you could voluntarily take a temporary leave of absence on grounds of ill-health." Boromir offered. "No-one outside this Hall would need to know the full reasons why."

"I will not be remembered as the Steward who stood aside, however temporary, because of personal frailty!" Denethor stated with a slight quiver in his voice.

Boromir knew his father well enough to know what Denethor was really asking was if his son would feel ashamed of him if he stood down as Steward. Boromir decided to provide an indirect answer in kind.

"By such an action father you'll be remembered as one of the greatest Stewards!" Boromir sincerely affirmed. "The Steward who loved Gondor so much that he was willing to sacrifice personal pride and authority in order to save her! Please get some rest so you can return as the Steward that both your sons have always been proud to call our father." As an afterthought Boromir then added, "That's what Faramir was going to tell you!"

At these words the remainder of Denethor's sanity made a last gasp effort to reason with him.

If only for purely pragmatic reasons, taking a temporary absence of leave due to illness was preferable to the humiliation of public investigation and punishment. But there were deeper and more important reasons at play here than mere politics.

Boromir was not being a disloyal son to him but instead was being a very loyal Captain-General to Gondor. He'd always taught Boromir that true loyalty to either country or family was based on principle not the desire to curry personal favour. Denethor may not like his firstborn's support of Aragorn but Boromir was doing so out of selfless patriotism. For the first time in many years Denethor felt pride in Boromir for something other than being a great warrior.

Denethor then looked at Faramir. It was true that Faramir's appearance and temperament reminded the Steward so much of Finduilas. Finduilas was Denethor's late beloved wife and the mother of his two sons. Unlike her husband, Finduilas adored Faramir and he her. How would've Finduilas reacted to him striking their youngest son in the manner he did? Deep down Denethor's conscience felt he didn't deserve the title of 'father' let alone 'Steward' as a result of such an action.

But the most important thing was that despite everything his two sons still loved him and would remain proud of him even if he acknowledged personal failure. After considering all this, Denethor drew himself to stand straight and began speaking to Boromir in an authoritative tone.

"Have one of these guards escort me to my chamber and get the other to bring a scribe there. You have my word I shall issue an immediate proclamation advising that I am taking a period of temporary leave as Steward due to ill health. Until I am well again you, Boromir, are to be Acting Steward with Faramir next in line as by the laws of succession governing the Office of Steward."

In an act of heavy symbolism, Denethor held out the Steward's rod towards Boromir. The rod's golden knob had drops of Faramir's blood drying on it.

"Take it." Denethor commanded his firstborn. Boromir gingerly wrapped his fingers around the rod realising the unexpected trust Denethor was giving him. After Boromir had the rod in his hand Denethor then concluded "If I have not returned to duty when Mordor attacks the White City, make a defence of it worthy of our noble house!"

At these words, Denethor then turned and left the Hall. One guard escorted him to his chambers that were on a higher level of the Tower. The guard that was supporting Faramir went to fetch a scribe after Boromir took over from him. The Sons of the Steward were alone within the Tower Hall. They were reeling for a variety of reasons from the events that had transpired there. Boromir thought more practical matters needed seeing to while waiting for Denethor's proclamation.

"I'll send for one of the healers from the level below." Boromir told Faramir almost as a whisper. "I'll tell them you suffered the injury from a fall within the Tower." Boromir knew this was a lie but it would be a lie that Faramir would agree to.

"I understand the need to keep the truth a secret Boromir." Faramir bravely began. "And I thank you for being here to…" Faramir's lip then to trembled before he began loudly sobbing.

Boromir took his brother in a compassionate embrace while thinking that Faramir and Rogers were indeed much alike.

"Our father loves you Faramir." Boromir soothingly assured him. "I'm sure he'll show you somehow before the end."

* * *

Denethor was true to his word and issued the proclamation he said he would.

Boromir made two immediate decisions as Acting Steward. The first was to order the Beacons of Gondor to be lit. It would take between a half-day to a day for the last beacon in the chain near Edoras to be lit. That was in theory. Boromir reflected that the beacons could not be regularly tested like that 'hotline' Rogers told him about on the ride from Fangorn to Edoras. To use another term about phones that Rogers spoke of, Boromir hoped that Theoden didn't 'hang up' when Rohan received Gondor's call for aid.

Boromir's second order was to convene an immediate meeting of the Council of Gondor. The five men who were present at the time were still the only ones who knew about the events in the Tower Hall earlier in the day. Citadel Guards were not ones to divulge secrets due the risk of severe punishment and shaming should they be caught doing so. Boromir hadn't even told the three other Fellowship members who were taking part in the Council meeting as well.

The meeting took place in conference chambers adjoining the Tower Hall. All but one attending the meeting sat at a round table having a late working lunch. Maps including those of Minas Tirith, Gondor and surrounding regions were spread across the table.

Pippin was towards the back of the room. He contentedly kept helping himself to the food laid out on the table he sat next to while quietly listening in on the discussions that took place. However, the Took felt a bit frustrated that he hadn't been able to make a real contribution on anything since coming to Gondor.

Council members were surprised by Denethor's proclamation at such a critical time. Nonetheless it members passed a resolution commending the Steward for his selfless honesty as well as wishing him a speedy recovery. No one questioned the bandage around Faramir's head was the result of a fall (Gandalf didn't voice his suspicions as to its true cause). And none disputed that Boromir should be the man to lead Minas Tirith's defence in the Steward's absence. Gondor's laws didn't allow the Steward to enter into battle. But as Boromir was only acting in the role and was still Captain-General, the Council felt there was enough legal wriggle room for him to directly participate in the defence.

"Do we yet have a better assessment of the actual size of the force Mordor shall be attacking Minas Tirith with?" Boromir asked the meeting.

"We've received word from the handful of Rangers that continue to scout behind the enemy's lines." Faramir answered. Faramir wore a fresh set of light armour befitting his position as Captain of Gondor's Rangers. Rogers had amply demonstrated that heavy armour wasn't necessarily needed to make one an effective soldier. "They estimate a combined force of a quarter of a million converging on us."

An unwelcome silence cast itself over the meeting as those attending digested this sobering report. Rogers broke the silence with a question about enemy movement like he did the time Aragorn advised of an imposing force marching on Helm's Deep.

"When will they get here Faramir?"

"They'll need to reconstruct the bridges at Osgiliath first if they are to move their siege equipment across the Anduin." Faramir advised. "Given that, as well as their reported rate of movement and time to deploy they'll be ready to assault us by morning on the fourth day after this one."

"Yes." Gandalf warily concurred while staring at the map of Minas Tirith on the table. None of the scenarios of the upcoming battle he played out in his mind made him comfortable. "Sauron is sure of victory but he'll still not take any chances. Especially as all three Avengers will be aiding the Free Peoples in this battle. His attack will only begin when he can bring his full force to bear against the White City."

Rogers asked a question related to his initial one.

"And how long will it take for the Rohirrim to get here?"

Boromir stood up from his chair and moved to a map that lay on the table showing both Gondor and Rohan. He ran his finger along it as he described the Rohirrim's response as he hoped it would still play out.

"If the last beacon is lit by this time tomorrow, the Rohirrim will concentrate at their mustering point in Dunharrow over the next two days. They'll then ride on the third day along the Great West Road and, assuming they encounter little or no resistance upon it, will get here by dawn on the fifth day."

Rogers did some mental arithmetic before concluding "So we'll have to fend for ourselves for at least a day. Do we have the defences that allow us to do that against the size of the force we're facing?"

Irolas answered after receiving a look from Boromir.

"Not including artillerymen, we currently have 2,500 men-at-arms including 200 cavalry who'll have to fight on foot." Irolas let the others in the meeting draw own their conclusions if this was an adequate force for the task at hand. He suspected the majority reached the same conclusion on the matter that he had.

Rogers analysed the situation by comparing it to Helm's Deep. The good news was the force defending Minas Tirith was about five times larger than the one that defended Helm's Deep. Further, it was comprised of professional soldiers supported by very strong fortifications. The bad news was that Minas Tirith would be besieged at odds five times worse than Helm's Deep by a more powerful foe. Minas Tirith would also need to hold out longer for reinforcements. Worse, Roger had no way communicating to his fellow Avengers to get here sooner. Even if he did, separating Thor and Hulk from the Rohirrim might be part of Sauron's plan for this battle in the first place.

"We still have four days to prepare." Boromir observed. "That's enough time to allow some reinforcements to arrive from our southern fiefdoms to aid us." Boromir noted the awkward looks that his fellow Gondorians shared at this. A confused Boromir asked, "What is it?"

"Apologies Lord Boromir but we thought you knew." Beregrod, the Captain of the Citadel Guard said.

"Knew what?"

"We received news just over two days ago from Pelargir." Beregond started. "Our navy, small as it is, was totally defeated at sea by the Corsairs of Umbar. The news was from our only surviving ship."

Gandalf briefly shut his eyes at this ill news while Boromir slowly walked back to his chair and sat back down to steady himself. Did Denethor not mention this simply because of the unfounded fear that Boromir would feel ashamed of him?

"Consequently whatever land forces in the south have been withdrawn into the larger settlements to defend them." Beregond continued. "This includes the forces at Dol Amroth that your uncle commands. A large fleet of Corsair ships now simply pillages large parts of our coast and waterways at will."

Rogers grimly thought that Earth's military history showed that if one side established naval supremacy in a war, it was almost guaranteed that it would be the war's victorious side. Boromir pondered the unwelcome news for a few moments before announcing his next decisions as Acting Steward.

"Commence evacuating civilians from the lower levels and bring them to the fourth level and above." Boromir firmly commanded. "It's too dangerous now to commence evacuating women and children from the city. Take all the space we can spare including the Citadel if we have to." After a pause, Boromir then added, "We need more defenders if only for logistical support. Send out word throughout the city asking for all able-bodied men aged sixteen and over to volunteer to aid in the defence."

Irolas sort clarification with "Just to be clear milord, this is a voluntary enlistment not a draft?"

Boromir exchanged a quick glance with Rogers. Both men knew they were each recalling events in the lead up to the Battle of Helm's Deep.

"It's indeed a voluntary call to arms Irolas" Boromir confirmed while he and Rogers shared a subtle smile of understanding. "Gondor only needs to ask her sons to defend her and they will do so without hesitation."

"Well I mightn't be a Son of Gondor but let me be your first volunteer!"

The whole meeting looked to see it was none other than Pippin that had spoken these words. Pippin's offer received a patronising laugh from the meeting with the exception of Faramir and the other Fellowship members. Rogers could tell that Pippin was hurt by this response and he knew the reason why. Rogers got similar laughs during the times he tried to enlist prior to being accepted for Project Rebirth.

Boromir was furious at the Council members largely at their insensitivity toward Pippin. But also because they still weren't getting his message that Gondor needed more allies than Rohan if it was to survive. The Acting Steward sprang up from his chair.

"I'm ashamed of all you!" Boromir angrily berated them at which all laughter promptly stopped. "In my absence has Gondor begun using height to judge the size of the contribution somebody can make towards her? Master Peregrin is both able-bodied and older than sixteen years. I'll have you know that he's faced greater dangers over the last two months than many of you have over years of service. He and his cousin played a vital role in the defeat of Saruman that has allowed Gondor to fight this war with its northern flank secure. So I for one am honoured that he's offered us his sword!"

A chastened Irolas spoke on behalf of the rest of the Council, "Our apologies Lord Boromir and to you as well Master Peregrin."

Rogers then spoke after quietly concluding that Boromir was a military officer that Erskine would've enjoyed working alongside.

"If we can get back to an earlier subject," Rogers started "I take the Witch-king and the other Ringwraiths will all be riding on those flying beasts in this battle?"

"That is a given Steve." Gandalf advised. "They will use them if only to spread terror in our ranks."

"But it's also a given the Nazgul will do more than that." Boromir added. "They'll likely use their fell-beasts to weaken our defences by attacking our trebuchets from the air. We haven't had to plan against such attacks before."

"Have you some advice on the matter Autherdir Rogers?" Faramir asked Gondor's latest commissioned officer.

Rogers arched a wry eyebrow at being called by his Gondorian rank. He acknowledged his current chain of command while saying with heavy understatement "I've had some experience in defending against aerial attacks if that's what you mean 'Lord' Faramir!"

* * *

The displays of power the three Avengers had performed that Sauron had witnessed or been given reports of greatly troubled the Dark Lord. The fact that Thor bested one of the Nine with little difficulty made Sauron realise that one of his most powerful weapons could be rendered useless in the battle ahead. The fume Sauron had conjured from Mount Doom was only part of a wider solution to this problem. His spies in Minas Tirith had reported that only one of the Avengers was currently aiding the city. The Dark Lord thought the opportunity presented itself to defeat the Avengers in detail.

Each one of the Nine Men who took a Ring of Power slowly lost all trace of their individuality as they became wraiths. It appealed to Sauron's dark sense of irony that the more power someone craved from him the more enslaved they became to his will once they received it. The Nazgul were not a 'team' in the sense the Fellowship or the Avengers were. They were not a collection of nine individuals organised on the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. It was more accurate to describe the Nazgul as nine different manifestations of a power of Sauron's. This power grew in strength as the One Ring drew closer to Mordor. Sauron also had great discretion how this power was distributed among the Nine.

In order to counter the Avengers, Sauron redistributed the total power of the Nine. He reduced the power of the other eight members and increased the Witch-king's with it. Sauron figured the Witch-king would now have the strength to defeat the Avengers individually. As the Ring got closer to Mordor that strength would increase as well as allowing Sauron to replenish the power of the other eight Nazgul.

The Witch-king felt his power waxing while sitting on his fell-beast. The fell-beast was perched atop the ruins of a tall building on the eastern bank of Osgiliath. Aside from his black hooded cloak, he wore a spiked iron crown symbolising his position as Supreme Commander of Mordor's forces in the upcoming battle. His attention was focused on Minas Tirith in the distance and in his immediate vicinity, the orc sappers quickly repairing Osgiliath's bridges. The Witch-king silently cursed the orcs for killing all the prisoners they had taken during the recent struggle for Osgiliath. They should have used the prisoners as slave labour to repair the bridges and _then_ killed them.

The Witch-king sensed his Lieutenant whose name was Gothmog approaching from behind. Gothmog was a grizzled, pale skinned orc who was based at Minas Morgul. The Witch-king normally had complete contempt for the countless orcs under Sauron's command that cared for nothing other than their base desires for violence, meat and gold. Gothmog at least had a modicum of intelligence to pass down to the rest of his kind the Witch-king's orders to them.

"The repairs to the bridges are almost complete milord!" Gothmog reported to him.

Without even turning to face Gothmog, the Witch-king commanded him with an evil guttural voice "Send forth all legions. Do not stop the attack until the city is taken. Slay them all!"

Gothmog wasn't surprised by this order. But there were some specific foes the Witch-king had mentioned that Gothmog needed clarity about engaging.

"What of the wizard?" he asked.

The Witch-king turned his head towards Gothmog and answered if Gandalf was but a minor irritant.

"I will break him!"

"What about those 'Avengers' you spoke of?"

The Witch-king turned his gaze back at the White City. If he still had physical form, a bone-chilling smile would have split his face as he gave his response.

"The Dark Lord has already decided their fate. And I will be the instrument of its delivery!"

* * *

**The longest chapter that I've written for this story so far. I wanted to get the preliminaries in Gondor out of the way before turning to Rohan in the next chapter.**

**I share the view that Boromir's death is what pushed Denethor over the edge in the film trilogy. I tried to play this dynamic out with Boromir being the only one who could bring his father back from the brink even after what Denethor had been looking in. Given his experience at Amon Hen, Boromir would know the folly of obeying anyone driven mad by desire for the Ring. I concede I might be too much of an optimist at heart but I didn't want to make this chapter too depressing.**

**My thoughts on the Nazgul are not from the view they have a collective consciousness. IMHO the power the Nazgul have is at the whim of Sauron whether he holds their nine rings or not. Is each Ringwraith individually powerful or really just an instrument of Sauron's power? I think this chapter makes clear my opinion on this matter.**

**I admit the way Thor's disrupted coronation scene in the movie with his name was the inspiration for Cap's oath of service into Gondor. My assumption that Cap could jump down the Othram is that he survived a 200-foot fall in one particular comic storyline. Cap's guess about Fury recruiting Gandalf is a reflection of my own. Happy to see what other reviewers think on that issue.**

**Cap's quote about pawns is from Francois-Andre Danican Philidor. Pippin made reference to being a pawn on a chessboard in the first chapter of **_**The Return of the King**_. **For the sake of entertainment in this story I'm assuming chess in Middle-earth has some similarities to the Earth version.**


	33. Paths of Destiny

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

21/06/2013

I must admit to being a bit overwhelmed to the reviews of the last chapter. To me they indicated that my decision in making character development and interaction the core of this story has been the right one.

**ColdFang:** One of the things I've enjoyed in writing this story is the opportunity to float my ideas around the 'If Boromir lived' scenario albeit in a non-canonical ME.

**tim C & Tryanno223:** Agree with your overall thoughts on Gandalf the White v Witch-king. What happened in the film was a good demonstration of the compromises that happen in bringing literature to the screen as a business.

**vincent1875:** Good to hear from you again and thanks for all those reviews.

**creepyLotRfangirl55**: As this is movieverse I'd have to wait until after Boxing Day 2014 before starting such a crossover. One title that springs to mind is _Black Widow and the Thirteen Dwarves_.

**darkangelmanz:** The size of the forces is from movieverse. One of my sources in writing this story is a wonderful book of the film trilogy – unfortunately no longer in print - called _The Lord of the Rings: Weapons and Warfare_.

**Panic**: Galadriel's telepathic observation to Thor in an earlier chapter might give you a clue in relation to your comments about Aragorn and Eowyn.

* * *

**Chapter 33 – Paths of Destiny**

It was mid-morning in Rohan the day following the one when the Council of Gondor met. In the Meduseld's Main Hall Thor, Legolas and Gimli stood just among themselves in quiet discussion like many Rohirrim at present. These Rohirrim were all waiting to have a word with Theoden about various matters important enough to require the King's judgment on.

They had been waiting a while as Theoden currently had higher priorities than resolving trade disputes between settlements or agreeing to extend the time to fish in the River Snowbourn by an extra month. Theoden, Eomer and Rohan's ranking military leaders stood over a table close to the throne dais. They were pouring over maps in a similar manner to the Council of Gondor did the previous day. They were speculating about Mordor's likely lines of advance if it launched an incursion into Rohan. Theoden had still not given any indication if Rohan was going to aid Gondor against Sauron.

The three Fellowship members within the Meduseld were quietly discussing Aragorn's behaviour of late. Five days had passed since Gandalf, Boromir, Pippin and Rogers had left Edoras for Minas Tirith. Avoiding the depressing possibility that something happened to the quartet on their journey, they would've reached the White City by yesterday morning the very latest. But the Beacons of Gondor still hadn't been lit. Aragorn had taken to sitting outside under a building's porch that offered a view of the last beacon anxiously waiting to see it light up. This morning, the Ranger continued his lonely vigil while having his breakfast there.

"I know all those of the Fellowship that remain here have agreed to go to Minas Tirith regardless if Rohan does." Legolas told the other two. "But Aragorn told me last night that if the beacons aren't lit by noon today he'll set out on his own - even if the rest of us elect to wait here."

"I've learned that once Aragorn's set in his purpose it's pointless to try and stop him." Gimli observed before exaggerating "If he's set on going to Minas Tirith then even Hulk would struggle to restrain him from doing so!"

Both Legolas and Thor give a knowing smirk to this before the Asgardian responded.

"In the council here a few days ago Gandalf said Aragorn's journey to Minas Tirith is by a different path before whispering something in his ear." Thor recalled before asking "Has Aragorn told either of you what was said that troubled him so?"

The trio's conversation was cut short when the main doors of the Meduseld were burst open from the outside by a desperate Aragorn.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith!" Aragorn frantically advised his voice echoing within the Meduseld. He ran up close to where Theoden was before emphasising "The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!"

A nervous pause descended over the Meduseld as everyone turned his or her attention to Theoden. The seconds dragged on as the Lord of the Mark considered this news. Everyone knew that the whole future of Middle-earth could well depend on Theoden's next words. There were no two more relieved people within the Meduseld than Aragorn and Thor when Theoden gave his response to Gondor's call for assistance.

"And Rohan will answer!" Theoden regally proclaimed. "Muster the Rohirrim!"

The silence in the Meduseld was replaced by a flurry of frantic activity. All the other courtiers may have wanted to petition Theoden on other matters but Rohan going to war meant their petitions would have to wait. Theoden walked up and placed his right hand on Aragorn's shoulder.

"Let this be remembered as when the Oath of Eorl was honoured." Theoden said to him quietly. "Let this be the moment when the Kings of Rohan and Gondor again drew swords together!"

* * *

A Rohirrim sentry rang a gong atop a tower outside of the Meduseld. The dull clang the gong made commencing the muster of Rohan was heard throughout Edoras. As Boromir predicted the previous day, Theoden ordered heralds to be sent throughout the Riddermark ordering all able-bodied men to assemble at Dunharrow. The Rohirrim would concentrate their forces there before riding to Gondor the day following tomorrow. Because time was of the essence, the Rohirric expedition to Gondor would be comprised completely of cavalry.

Thor and Merry just exited the Meduseld and stood under its front porch. Theoden was several yards to their right. He stood at the edge of the raised stone foundation the Golden Hall was built on. Theoden was dressed in his battle armour observing the mobilisation he had ordered taking place. The pair of Fellowship members spoke in hushed tones.

"Maybe this isn't the time to bother him." Merry nervously suggested.

"Theoden is currently seeking all able volunteers." Thor pointed out. "Now is the perfect time for you to speak with him Merry."

To allay their mutual anxiety over the last two days Thor and Merry followed somewhat in the footsteps of Rogers and Eowyn. Eomer allowed the Asgardian to use the Royal Guard's practice green to help improve Merry's personal combat skills. No Royal Guard, Meduseld official or servant dared gossip to each other their thoughts when seeing the pair in action. Many were still recovering from the blistering lecture of Eomer's delivered through the Meduseld's Chamberlain. None believed Eomer was bluffing as the Chamberlain advised the punishment for spreading salacious rumours about the royal family and honoured guests.

"_Lord Eomer advises anyone of you so caught will be given to Prince Thor for him to use for combat practice!"_

Theoden was pondering another issue as he took in the sights before him. Theoden had given Banner a black stallion to ride so he could be part of the journey to Minas Tirith. All the other staff at the infirmary had secretly petitioned the King for Banner to be appointed its new Chief Healer if he was unable to find a way back to America. Theoden was certainly giving this request very serious consideration. Having someone of Banner's intellect in Rohan would certainly shake the tired stereotype of Rohirrim being rustic simpletons. And from what Theoden understood about him, Hulk would give Orcs and Dunlendings reason to shake if they even thought about encroaching into the Riddermark. A polite cough to his left interrupted these thoughts. Thor stood a couple of yards from him with Merry to the Asgardian's right.

Noting the cool look Theoden gave him in response to his cough; Thor thought it best to come straight to the point.

"Milord, Master Meriadoc has something to ask you." Thor said before giving Merry a nod of encouragement.

Eomer had provided Merry with a high quality short sword to practice with. Merry gripped the sword point down as knelt on one leg before speaking to Theoden.

"Excuse me," Merry started "I have a sword. Please accept it. I offer you my service, Theoden King."

A kind smile formed on Theoden's face in response to Merry's offer. He pulled the Brandybuck up to his feet.

"And I gladly accept." Theoden happily responded. "You shall be Meriadoc, Esquire of Rohan. Seek out Lady Eowyn to aid you in finding armour worthy of your new station."

A proud smile burst across both Merry and Thor's faces to Theoden's announcement. Both royals watched Merry run back to the Meduseld to find Eowyn. Now he was alone with Theoden, Thor took a deep breath before speaking to him.

"Theoden-King, I apologise for my outburst directed at you a few days ago." Thor humbly offered. "I make no excuses for it. You have my word as Crown Prince of Asgard that I shall not speak to you again in such a manner in your halls or in front of your subjects."

The look Theoden gave to his apology reminded Thor of the look Odin gave Loki and himself when they'd been caught trying to sneak into Asgard's Relic Vault as young boys.

"I profess ignorance about the court etiquette of Asgard." Theoden sternly began in reply. "But I suspect your father expects a modicum of respect when he is being addressed in his own halls including from his heir."

Thor simply nodded in response. He was too ashamed to mention that, in previous years, he'd occasionally shown worse disrespect to Odin than he had recently shown to Theoden. Thor was comforted when Gandalf's observation about Theoden's humility was proven correct.

"As much as I didn't like the tone of your words," Theoden continued "I also cannot deny the truth they contained." Thor understood Theoden was offering an 'apology' for the insults he'd directed at the Fellowship during the council. Seeing Thor give a subtle nod of acceptance in response, Theoden then gave a conciliatory smile before concluding "Now let us consider our quarrel behind us and focus on what is important."

Having made their peace, Theoden and Thor looked at the scenes before them. Men with armour and equipment varying to their social station began mounting their steeds. Others were sharing heartfelt expressions of farewell with their families. Eomer could be heard rallying fellow Rohirrim to honour the oaths they had sworn to lord and land.

"I never thought I would see when the doom of our time was decided." Theoden quietly said to Thor. "Nor that it would be decided before the walls of Minas Tirith."

"Until recently, many people of Earth thought Asgard and its inhabitants belonged to myth and legend." Thor revealed. "One of their myths was that a final battle known as the 'Ragnarok' would consume all Asgard. According to this myth a large serpent and I will enter into combat which will result in both our deaths."

Thor and Theoden looked at each other. The former had a twinkle in his eye.

"If such a battle comes I intend to walk away the victor and live to tell the tale." Thor said with a confident smile. "If only to, as they say on Midgard, throw it in my critics faces!"

Theoden and Thor shared a laugh confirming their reconciliation. They then joined the other Rohirrim in departing Edoras before arriving at Dunharrow later that afternoon.

* * *

It was noon the day after Theoden and the cavalry from Edoras arrived at Dunharrow. Eowyn was part of this force to the surprise of many in the Fellowship. Aragorn repeated to them what Eowyn told him earlier that it was tradition for women of court to ride to the encampment. He didn't repeat that she also implied she was willing to follow him to her death.

Dunharrow was some twenty miles south of Edoras. Dunharrow was a fortress and refuge built in ages past by Mountain Men. It consisted of a steep, switchback path that rose hundreds of feet to a wide grassy plateau surrounded on all sides by the White Mountains. The path, known as the 'Stair of the Hold', was bordered by standing stones and continued across the plateau and through a dark wooden glen referred to as the 'Dimholt'. The path eventually reached a small dark doorway that marked the start of another path. This particular path was known as the 'Paths of the Dead'.

Thor walked to where Theoden was standing by the plateau's edge. Aragorn stood to the King's right. Thor stopped at Theoden's left.

"Gamling said you wished to speak to me milord?" Thor asked Theoden.

"I did Prince Thor." Theoden confirmed after turning his attention to the Asgardian. "I keep forgetting to ask if you require the services of a squire to aid you in the battle ahead." Anticipating one of Thor's likely responses, Theoden added "Before you say so I already have a duty in mind for Master Meriadoc!"

With Theoden vetoing his preferred candidate, Thor replied "Allow me to think on the matter Theoden-king. I shall give you my answer tomorrow morn."

The King and the two Fellowship members all turned their attention to the scene in the valley below. Hundreds of white tents had sprung up as riders arrived from all parts of Rohan heeding Theoden's call to arms.

"What is the latest count of the Muster?" Thor asked.

"Six thousand spears." Theoden regretfully advised. "Less than half of what I'd hoped for."

Thor spoke a supplemental question in response to this.

"How great in number are the armies of Mordor that we shall engage?"

Aragorn grimly answered "Suffice to say Thor that six thousand spears will not be enough to break their lines!"

Thor recalled something Stark told the Avengers while they were all eating that Midgard dish called 'Shawarma'.

"Similar to what one of my fellow Avengers told my brother," Thor began "among that six thousand we have a Hulk!"

"We also have the God of Thunder in our ranks as well!" Theoden acknowledged Thor with a respectful smile. "And more Rohirrim are still to come."

None of these facts shook Aragorn of his desperation to get to the White City with all haste.

"Whatever the case every hour lost hastens Gondor's defeat." Aragorn gave in pointed reminder. "We have till dawn - then we must ride!"

Theoden was not offended that Aragorn's advice sounded like an order. As Rogers pointed out to him a few days ago, kings were still men. Any man away from his home would desire to make a hasty return to defend it should others threaten its destruction.

"I apologise Lord Aragorn if my words sounded to you like those I spoke in the hours before the Battle of Helm's Deep." Theoden said. "I know this upcoming battle shall be fought at disadvantageous odds regardless of our numbers."

Both Theoden and Aragorn turned their gazes to Thor whose deadpan comment unnerved them slightly.

"Yes." Thor agreed while staring at the encampment below with a dark gleam in his eye. "The minions of Sauron don't stand a chance!"

* * *

Banner found his time in the Edoras infirmary very rewarding but he was glad that the Fellowship was now focused on the next stage of its quest. He thought at Dunharrow he could catch up on some lost sleep – the time taken treating the injured in Middle-earth was just as demanding as it was on Earth.

But sleep proved elusive at Dunharrow. Banner had encountered many things in Middle-earth that defied rational scientific explanation. The road to the Dimholt was another that could be added to that list. A chilly icy breeze always seemed to blow from it across the plateau. The fact this road lead to a route known as the 'Paths of the Dead', which Eomer advised the Fellowship that none who ventured there ever returned, unnerved both men and horses. Even the Other Guy was wary of the aura that seemed inherent in the Dimholt. On that basis, Banner had no real trouble when Thor woke him just before dawn.

The pair was walking towards the King's tent that was a few yards ahead of them. There was a Royal Guard on sentry duty on either site of the tent's entry flap.

"Any idea what Theoden wanted?" Banner asked Thor who was to his right.

"Nay." Thor replied. "Except to say there was someone who'd like to talk to us."

After the two Avengers entered the tent they noticed Theoden speaking to an individual wearing a black hooded cloak seated to his right. Thor immediately ruled out this individual was a Nazgul if only because they didn't have an evil aura around them.

"Prince Thor, Doctor Banner thanks for answering my summons at this early hour." Theoden welcomed the pair. At this, the cloaked individual stood up which revealed he or she was about Rogers' height. The individual turned to face the pair before throwing back his hood. The individual was a male elf with long black hair whose blue eyes possessed a wise and noble look. The elf's face was familiar to Banner for some reason but he wasn't quite sure why. Theoden continued to speak.

"It's my great honour to introduce the both of you to the Lord of Imladris, Elrond Half-elven."

"You're Aragorn's foster father?" Banner asked Elrond recalling what Aragorn had once told him.

Elrond gave a subtle nod in acknowledgment before saying with his warm voice "You are correct Doctor Banner."

"From what Aragorn and the others have spoken of you, we are indeed honoured to finally meet you in person milord." Thor humbly offered.

Elrond graciously replied echoing Haldir at Helm's Deep "From what the Lady Galadriel has told me of the Avengers, the honour is mine Prince Thor. I'm grateful that purpose has allowed me to meet two-thirds of the company whose reputation is beginning to spread across Middle-earth."

"I shall take my leave." Theoden stated before leaving his tent. Another individual would soon be joining the trio there. Theoden wanted to give Elrond privacy considering what he'd travelled all the way from Rivendell to discuss.

"What purpose?" Banner asked while quietly wondering if all Elven rulers spoke in riddles.

"The Avengers have already been separated with Captain America travelling to Minas Tirith." Elrond observed. "Lady Galadriel has foreseen that both of you must now go on separate paths. Prince Thor you must continue with the Rohirrim. But the road to Minas Tirith for you, Doctor Banner, is by one that must also be travelled by another member of your Fellowship."

Thor gave a subtle knowing smile before saying, "I think I know of whom you speak!"

Thor had no sooner said these words than when Aragorn entered the King's rent having received a summons there. Standing next to Thor, a surprised Aragorn acknowledged his foster father with a stiff bow of the neck. Elrond focused all his attention on his adopted son before authoritatively speaking to him.

"I come on behalf of one whom I love." Elrond began before flatly advising "Arwen is dying."

Both Avengers saw that Aragorn visibly blanched at this news. They didn't know that one reason for Aragorn's reaction was that he'd just been woken up from a nightmare about such a thing happening.

Legolas quietly told Banner about Aragorn's relationship with Arwen when the Fellowship was making its way down the Anduin.

"I'm willing to go back to Rivendell with you and do all I can to help save your daughter." Banner volunteered to Elrond. He guessed that was the path he needed to accompany Aragorn on that the elven lord was referring to.

"The reason for the Evenstar failing is not due to any mortal sickness Doctor Banner." Elrond told him while secretly touched at his offer. Galadriel was indeed correct to describe Banner as possessing a troubled but nonetheless kind and helpful soul. "Arwen's life is now tied to the fate of the Ring. The Shadow is upon us. The end has come".

Channelling Thor's earlier remark, Aragorn proclaimed in reference to Sauron "It will not be our end, but his."

"And the whole Fellowship will follow you as you lead us to victory my friend!" Thor nobly acknowledged along with a quick supportive squeeze of the man's left shoulder.

"Even with the Avengers' returning powers the Free People's victory is by no means assured!" Elrond firmly pointed out to curb any complacency shared among the trio. "Sauron's armies march on Minas Tirith, this you know. But in secret he sends another force that will attack from the river. A fleet of Corsair ships sails from the south. They'll be at Pelargir in two days before reaching Minas Tirith on the third."

"What's 'Pelargir'?" Banner asked.

"It's the great port of Gondor." Aragorn answered. "It's located along the Anduin some 140 miles south of Minas Tirith."

Elrond spoke directly to Aragorn to bring his attention to what was important about this discussion.

"Even if you have the Avengers you need still need other men if you wish to prevail over Sauron."

"There are none!" Aragorn advised with restrained exasperation.

Elrond noted that Aragorn misunderstood both what 'men' he was alluding to as well as the reason for recruiting them.

"There are those who dwell in the mountain." Elrond hinted.

Thor and Banner wondered why Aragorn seemed to be appalled at what Elrond had suggested. The Ranger's response to Elrond quickly revealed the reason why.

"Murderers…traitors!" Aragorn spat out in quiet disgust. "You would call upon them to fight? They believe in nothing! They answer to no one!"

"They will answer to the King of Gondor!" Elrond regally proclaimed before sweeping aside his cloak and pulling out a scabbarded sword which he presented to Arargorn. "Anduril," Elrond advised Aragorn of the sword's name "Flame of the West, forged from the shards of Narsil."

"Sauron will not have forgotten the Sword of Elendil." Aragorn commented before withdrawing Anduril from its scabbard.

Thor gasped at his first sighting of Anduril. Anduril was just over four feet in length with a forty-inch blade with what appeared to be elvish runes down its length. Its hilt had a solid metal cross guard and pommel with gold and silver platted fittings. The pommel was inscribed with elvish runes being connected to the guard by a black leather grip. Thor thought Anduril reminded him of his initial reaction to the Evenstar pendant that Aragorn wore. Anduril may not seem to possess any magical powers but it was a sword worthy of any king. Elrond's next words to Aragorn made Thor revaluate the first part of that assessment.

"The man who can wield the power of this sword can summon to him an army more deadly than any that walks this earth." Elrond told his foster son before coming to the whole point of his journey here. "Put aside the Ranger. Become who you were born to be!"

At these words, Aragorn's attention quickly moved away from Anduril to Elrond and then to Thor. Elrond's last sentence to him was the similar to the advice Thor gave him when the Fellowship had camped between Fangorn and Edoras. Thor gave him a subtle nod as if he had read Aragorn's mind. Aragorn had always judged men – including himself - to be weak because of Isildur's decision to take the Ring. Elrond was indeed known to make private utterances to this effect. But having this opinion blinded Elrond and himself to the strength the Race of Men possessed. The Rohirrim had demonstrated this strength in their struggle with Saruman. Both Rogers and Banner, despite possessing extraordinary power, had selflessly and humbly assisted numerous strangers much weaker than themselves without hesitation. He had impulsively dismissed Boromir's argument about this when the Fellowship travelled down the Anduin. Aragorn was horrified to think Arwen's very life could be the price he and Elrond paid for their arrogance on this matter.

Aragorn knew that countless people waited in expectation that he would fulfil his destiny as King of Gondor. But Boromir was right about another point made along the Anduin. One reason that Aragorn often tried to deny his heritage was because he feared he would follow Isildur's example of weakness. Aragorn by nature was a modest man. But Thor was also correct in that true humility didn't mean shying away from using one's strengths to make a better world. This rule applied to everyone from the highest king to the poorest peasant. Aragorn felt he no longer had any excuse to not, at the very least, try and be the king so many thought he possessed the strength to be. If only because the person that had always shown the most faith in him was now dying.

Aragorn spoke a single sentence that would rank alongside any of Middle-earth's key turning points throughout its long history.

"The blade that was broken shall return to Minas Tirith!"

* * *

A short while later, Banner and Thor left Theoden's tent and walked a few yards away and faced each other before talking.

"There's one thing Earth and Middle-earth have in common for us." Banner laconically observed. "The Avengers get together for a short while only to go our separate ways again!"

"If you remember Banner," Thor recalled "both of us weren't present when the Avengers commenced battle against the Chitauri. Just like then, I'm confident the Avengers will be together before the Battle for Middle-earth is ended."

Banner gave an appreciative nod at this before saying "Look, I just want to say bye to Merry first. If it's not too much to ask can you please keep an eye on him?" Thor suddenly started chuckling to which a bemused Banner asked "What?"

"My fellow Avengers obviously see me as a nursemaid!" Thor jovially stated given that before leaving for Minas Tirith, Rogers had asked him to look out for Eowyn. He then gave a confused Banner's left shoulder a friendly squeeze and told him "Forgive me friend I'm not laughing at your request as such. You have my word I will keep Master Merry safe. You go and say your farewell to him and I'll meet you by our horses so I can give my own farewell to Aragorn and yourself."

The pair did this and Thor began walking to where the Fellowship's horses were. As he got closer he noticed Aragorn's silhouette in the shadows as dawn began to break. He noticed another smaller silhouette whose voice revealed it was Eowyn. At catching a snippet of what she was saying to Aragorn, Thor quickly hid behind a tent and didn't move least he draw the pair's attention. Thor was only about three yards away so he heard every word of Aragorn and Eowyn's exchange. Rogers' guess about Eowyn's feelings for Aragorn had proven to be correct by her own words. And Aragorn's reply to her confirmed he could not reciprocate these feelings in kind. Eowyn didn't notice Thor as she walked passed him in a flurry of sorrow and hurt.

* * *

Legolas and Gimli were also present by the time Banner joined Aragorn and Thor. The elf and the dwarf would be joining Aragorn and Banner on their journey along the Paths of the Dead. No amount of persuasion from Aragorn could deter the pair from their choice. Gimli spoke to Thor while holding onto Legolas on their white steed.

"Now remember Odinson," Gimli gruffly reminded Thor "the next round our competition doesn't start until Legolas and I get to Minas Tirith!"

"You'd better hurry then Master Dwarf as I may kill the entire enemy before you get there!" Thor replied in mock seriousness.

The five Fellowship members shared a laugh at this although they all knew what Thor warned about was not beyond the realms of possibility. Thor then sobered and showed he'd learned something of Middle-earth linguistics.

"Banner, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli – _Namaarie._"

"_Tenna' ento lye omenta mellonanim._" Legolas replied with a soft smile.

At the Elf's words the four Fellowship members directed their horses to start walking forward. In a matter of moments they disappeared into the mist that hung over the Dimholt. A company of the Royal Guard sat around a campfire a few yards to the back of Thor. They began murmuring at the actions of Aragorn and the three Fellowship members accompanying him. Thor heard the snippets of conversation coming from behind him.

"_Why do Lord Aragorn and his companions leave on the eve of battle?"_

"_They leave because there is no hope!"_

Thor spun around at this and the Royal Guards flinched at the withering look he gave them.

With restrained anger Thor said to them "If any are claiming my friends are leaving because of cowardice I'll have words with you right now!"

Theoden was at the edge of the campfire light having observed this exchange and Aragorn's departure before. He decided to intervene in case any Royal Guard was foolish enough to accept Thor's challenge.

"Lord Aragorn and his friends leave because they must!" Theoden firmly stated as he walked in the campfire's light. "They've gone to secure aid of those who dwell under the mountain for the fight ahead."

A number of Royal Guards exchanged shocked looks at this. 'The Mountain' that Theoden referred to was known as the 'Dwimorberg'. It was thought a given that anyone who travelled there would share the fate of those who dwelt in its caverns.

"Milord that path is folly!" Gamling argued. "We ride for Mordor within the next couple of hours but still too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor!"

"That will indeed be the case if this army goes into battle with such an outlook!" Thor sternly lectured Gamling. Remembering what Rogers said to the Fellowship prior to the Battle of Helm's Deep, Thor added "The King looks to his bodyguard to set the example for this army. Make it an example that all Rohirrim will be proud to follow!"

"Prince Thor is right." Theoden agreed while quietly grateful that Thor spared him from having to deliver similar words to Gamling and the Royal Guard. "We will ride to battle and face its outcomes bravely as Men of Rohan should. Having the God of Thunder in our ranks means the outcomes are not all in Mordor's favour!"

* * *

The Rohirrim were making their final preparations before commencing the ride to Minas Tirith. Thor was walking back to his tent to get the helmet Galadriel had gifted him. Before he entered the tent, he heard some noise coming from inside. He quietly lifted the entry flap and peered around it to see who the intruder was.

Eowyn had snuck into Thor's tent to change into a suit of battle armour she had quietly secured from the encampment's smith. She figured no one would dare enter the God of Thunder's tent to check up on anything without his permission.

After Theoden's advice to her a short while ago and Aragorn's earlier rejection of her, she felt she had nothing left to lose. If this was going to be Rohan's final hour, she wasn't going to wait for it with the added pain of a broken heart. Before placing on the helm she had chosen, Eowyn noticed Thor's magnificent helm resting on his bed. Out of curiosity she reached for it to try it on.

"That helm was a gift from the Lady of the Golden Wood crafted especially for myself. I suspect it will be too heavy for you to wear!"

Eowyn gave a startled yelp to Thor's observations.

"Apologies Prince Thor!" Eowyn blurted out. "I came into your tent with no ill intent!"

Thor gave a dismissive wave of his hand before commenting "Milady, of all the people I've encountered in Middle-earth, you are one of the last who would enter my tent with such designs." Seeing Eowyn visibly relax at this Thor asked "However, I'm still curious as to the reason why you're dressing for battle?"

"I suppose you're another who believes that war is only the province of men?" Eowyn countered, bitterly repeating what Eomer told her a few hours ago.

Admiring Eowyn's nerve to turn the issue back on him, Thor calmly said "You'll recall me telling you milady that Asgard has a proud tradition of shield-maidens defending the realm. But you still have not answered my original question."

Eowyn also recalled that Rogers told her that America also had women soldiers actively serving in its defence. Eowyn paused for a moment before standing as straight as she could.

"I'm a Shield-maiden of Rohan!" she proudly proclaimed. "My skill at arms is as good as nearly any man's! Unlike Asgard or America, Rohan doesn't have the sense to see one's skill in battle is not related to one's gender. If this is to be Rohan's final hour, where else should my place be but on the battlefield? If I fall at least it will be among my kin in defence of the Riddermark rather than waiting for death within the empty confines of the Meduseld as my uncle would have it!"

"And you have no other reasons why you wish to do this?" Thor carefully asked her.

Eowyn's eyes flickered for a moment before she said "What other reasons could there be?"

Thor didn't want to humiliate Eowyn by telling he overheard her conversation with Aragorn a short time ago. But at the same time, he needed to be consistent in advice. Like the Royal Guards, Eowyn shouldn't face the upcoming battle with a fatalistic attitude resembling a death wish. Prior to facing the Balrog, Thor hoped to follow the All-Father's example in battle. Prior to advising Eowyn, he now wanted to be the All-Father's equal in wisdom. Thor had no doubt which of Odin's two examples was the hardest to follow.

"If you wish to fight for the reasons you say I find no fault with what you've told me." Thor began. "But if you are doing this to prove your worth to yourself" Thor arched an eyebrow before continuing "or someone else, then I advise you solemnly it would be best for you to obey your uncle's instructions."

Eowyn paused to consider Thor's words before realising she'd overlooked to ask him what was most important to her mind about this matter.

"Do you intend to tell anyone about my plans Prince Thor?" she asked him with some trepidation.

"Of that I'm undecided." Thor casually remarked with a shrug of his shoulders.

Thor collected his helmet off his bed and began to leave the tent. Just before he exited, he turned his head over his right shoulder to look at Eowyn.

"On the ride to Minas Tirith milady, you'll need to be close to me so I can at least give you the courtesy of being the first person I speak of my decision to." Thor advised Eowyn giving her a quick, understanding wink.

The grin Eowyn gave in response to this reminded Thor of the one Sif gave Loki, the Warriors Three and himself when they told her she could join their company.

* * *

Thor and Eowyn faced each other while sitting on their mounts. Around them there was a swirl of activity as other Rohirrim began to mount their steeds and horses snorted in nervous anticipation of the order to move out.

Eowyn wore a helmet with a visor that covered her feminine nose and cheeks. She told Thor the name of her brown coated steed was 'Windfola'.

"Your need for secrecy is greater than just covering your facial features." Thor quietly advised her. "What name should I call you by?"

Eowyn thought for a moment before replying in a similar tone "'Dernhelm' – it means 'secret helm' in the Common Tongue."

Thor gave an impressed half-grin at Eowyn's alias before telling her "In this battle Master Dernhelm, stay close to me and all will be well. Do this if only for my sake. I'd fear to tell Captain America something happened to you while you were under my watch!"

Eowyn gave a nervous smile in response to Thor's attempt at humour.

"Prince Thor!"

Eowyn's eyes suddenly widen with horror at the sound of her uncle's voice who was some twenty feet behind Thor. Inwardly, Thor shared the same reaction that Theoden may have found out about his niece's planned disobedience.

Thor turned towards Theoden and replied resolutely as he could "Yes milord?"

"Once you have finished speaking with that young Rohirrim I'd like to speak with you please." Theoden replied as if nothing was untowards.

Before joining Theoden, Thor quickly said to a relieved Eowyn "If Theoden believes it is Dernhelm speaking with me from less than twenty feet away, I think your chances of escaping detection are better than I first thought!"

Thor began riding alongside Theoden's left.

"Who was that rider you were speaking to?" Theoden asked Thor innocently. Theoden had unknowingly provided Thor a way to answer his question without having to directly lie.

"A young Rohirrim named 'Dernhelm' that I'm considering to be my squire." Thor advised.

"Say no more Prince Thor as I fully trust your judgment on the matter." Theoden replied. As he was looking ahead, the King didn't notice the awkward look on Thor's face to these words.

After a beat Theoden began to raise with Thor the matter he truly wished to discuss.

"I understand your anger at my Guard and you had every right to chastise them the way you did earlier." Theoden prefaced. "But part of the reason for their fear is that we will likely be facing the Nazgul in this battle. It's said no living man can kill them. My standing orders to all Rohirrim for this battle are to fall back in the face of an attack by one of the Nine - even if my own life be in danger."

After a moment, Theoden then looked at Thor before continuing.

"I do not try to understand how you bested one of the Dwimmerlaik. I merely accept you did it as well as your feats at Helm's Deep. What sort of man you truly are Prince Thor I –"

"I understand you perfectly Theoden-king." Thor helpfully interrupted. "Whatever powers I can bring to bear in this battle, they are yours."

Theoden gave an appreciative smile before he brought Snowmane to a halt. Thor followed suit on Graegwind. They had stop just in front of Merry who was preparing his pony as if ready to join the ride to Minas Tirith. Merry wore a leather metal-reinforced helm that had a nose guard. He also had on a sturdy leather chest pad that was red in colour.

"You indeed look every part a Squire of Rohan!" Thor complimented the Brandybuck.

"Lady Eowyn found it for me." Merry replied somewhat embarrassed. "This armour in fact belonged to King Theoden when he as a boy." Merry focused his attention on Theoden before telling him "I promise I'll return it in good nick milord!"

Theoden didn't even smile as he coldly advised Merry his intentions towards the hobbit.

"Little Hobbits do not belong in war, Master Meriadoc."

Thor's head snapped in Theoden's direction stunned at the King's words. Why did Theoden make Merry squire if he didn't intent for Merry to go into battle? Were Theoden's decision then and now a simple kindness to spare Merry the horror of war?

"All my friends have gone to battle!" Merry passionately argued. "I would be ashamed to be left behind."

"It's a three-day gallop to Minas Tirith, and none of my Riders can bear you as a burden." Theoden said seemingly unmoved at Merry's words.

"Thor, please!" Merry pleaded to the Asgardian in a call for Fellowship unity.

"I will say no more." Theoden ended the matter. Thor wasn't going to break his word to Theoden by commencing to argue with him about it front of his subjects. Theoden turned to Thor and said "Prince Thor, I would welcome your input into our planning session later this evening."

After Thor gave a small nod in response, Theoden left the pair of the Fellowship members behind to take his place with Eomer at the head of the army. Before the pair could talk, Merry was grabbed from behind and lifted up by a rider.

"You can ride with me!" the rider, who sat behind Merry, whispered into his ear.

"Milady!" Merry gasped in recognition of the rider's voice. Merry quickly stilled at seeing Thor put a finger over his lips.

"Understand Merry," Thor began "you accompany a young Rohirrim named 'Dernhelm' who I have appointed to be my squire for this ride and battle ahead."

Eowyn proudly nodded her acceptance of the promotion offered to her by Thor. The trio followed the other riders in urging their steeds eastwards as the Rohirrim began their journey to Minas Tirith.

Without missing a beat Merry asked Eowyn "Were you as nervous as I was when you were made a squire Master Dernhelm?"

Eowyn replied with a smile in her voice, "Due to a prior conversation with Prince Thor, I wasn't as nervous as you might think Master Meriadoc!"

* * *

**Some readers will probably be disappointed that Hulk won't be there when the Battle of Pelennor Fields immediately begins. But who am I to go against the advice of Galadriel and Elrond? I also wanted to swap around the usual Avenger/Fellowship pairings that have taken place in this crossover before final hostilities commence.**

**I know Ragnarok was played out in one Marvel line but as it hasn't (so far) in movieverse, I thought this chapter could refer to in the manner it did.**

**I appreciate that my translation of 'Dernhelm' isn't quite exact but I thought it good enough given the context.**


	34. Last Minute Changes

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

28/06/2013

Over the next two chapters I'll be describing the respective journeys of the Fellowship largely in separate fashion. I've found that concurrent events can chop up the story flow too much in written form. It's my personal preference to finish the preliminaries so the Siege of Gondor and the Battle of Pelennor Fields get the full attention they deserve.

**chris:** Good to hear from you again and thanks for your thoughts.

**Dan man & Brad W:** I don't rule out that Rogers and Elrond's paths will cross at a later date or that Captain America will react to the Lord of Imladris in the manner you both describe.

**Forgotten Honour:** A very observant point you raise in reference to the Black Serpent mentioned in the book.

* * *

**Chapter 34 – Last Minute Changes**

Preparations continued within Minas Tirith for the enormous assault by Mordor that was expected in the morning the second day after tomorrow. Civilians had commenced evacuating the lower levels, armouries worked around the clock preparing weapons and soldiers were going through last minute drills and equipment checks in readiness for the fight ahead.

As Boromir had hoped, there was a strong response to the summons for volunteers to aid in the defence. The defenders had swelled in number by an additional five thousand men. These men were from all classes of society and across all age groups. Remembering what Rogers had said prior to the Battle of Helm's Deep, Boromir thought patriotism must be a strong motivating force across worlds.

The bigger challenge facing Minas Tirith's commanders though was in effectively using these volunteers. Only one fifth of them, mostly retired veterans, had any military or fighting experience of any kind. From his experience at Helm's Deep, Boromir knew that too many lives of the remaining volunteers would be wasted if they were simply going to end up as sword fodder. There wasn't the time available to give those volunteers that had no military experience even the most basic training. Fulfilling his observation to the Council of Gondor, these types of volunteers were mostly allocated to logistical support roles. This included assisting with civilian evacuations; helping with the preparation and distribution of pitch and burning oil; and others to act as stretcher-bearers once the fighting started. Some volunteers would assist trebuchet crews with the loading of their weapon's projectiles (including bits of heavy masonry weighing up to 1000lbs each). In organising these volunteers, Boromir liked a maxim Rogers once told him quoted from an American General named 'Bradley' – "Amateurs talk about strategy, professionals talk about logistics."

Demonstrating that patriotism crossed the gender divide, many Gondorian women had volunteered by cooking and preparing meals for the troops, repairing their uniforms and offering to help within the Houses of Healing. Gondor mightn't have a tradition of shield-maidens like Rohan, but Rogers thought the contribution of these women was as valuable as any logistic support. Rogers had both male and female volunteers collecting and bundling materials he hoped would provide some protection against aerial attack by the fell-beasts.

The consensus of Minas Tirith's commanders was that the Great Gate was likely to be the focus of Mordor's assault. On that basis, the four valuable cases of napalm were kept in an iron strongbox located within a tower part of the rampart directly atop the Great Gate. The napalm could only be used on the direct order of Boromir, Gandalf or Rogers.

There was one other task Rogers had to occupy himself with. That task waited in the Drill Square of the Citadel Guard's barracks. Similar to his training of Eowyn, Rogers had taken upon himself the responsibility of improving Pippin's combat skills for a couple of hours each day.

Pippin was currently standing close to the edge of the Drill Square fidgeting with the fine short sword he'd been issued with. Pippin wore a suit of the Citadel Guard that Faramir had been given as a boy by his father. Denethor hoped at the time that the uniform would stimulate his youngest son's interest in matters military. He was only partially successful in this regard. The young Faramir wore the uniform pretending to be Earendil Half-elven defending the ancient elven city of Gondolin from attack by dragons like he read in a book about it that Gandalf gave him.

The uniform itself was a mail hauberk surmounted by a coat of black cloth that bore the White Tree of Gondor with seven white stars as a motif. The Hobbit had on his head the standard issue barbut helmet given to Gondorian regulars which, for him, was an oversized fit. Pippin also continued to wear his Galadhrim cloak.

"Ready Pippin?" Rogers politely asked him in relation to commencing their training session.

"I don't know what I was thinking Steve when I volunteered!" Pippin awkwardly recalled.

"The whole point Pippin was that you weren't thinking." Rogers pointed out before explaining "Gandalf told me that the Fellowship's hobbits are good representatives of their race. After observing the four of you, my conclusion is that hobbits volunteer to help others because to you it's second nature." After noting that Pippin gave a tiny appreciative smile in response, Rogers further encouraged him by adding "And you've been in some battles before. So you have a lot more combat experience than many of the new recruits who've volunteered to aid in the defence."

"But when the four of us have been in a battle we've had others like Strider, Boromir, Hulk and Treebeard to help us out." Pippin argued. "Its different when we've had to fight by ourselves. When we stood alone against the Black Riders or the Uruk-hai we were simply swept aside. I certainly don't take after my ancestor Bullroarer Took in terms of being a great warrior!"

Rogers vaguely remembered Frodo mentioning this 'Bullroarer' when he spoke about the Shire's history. Something about Bullroarer using a club to knock a goblin head down a rabbit hole. Rogers pondered the feats of another warrior before giving Pippin his response.

"You remember me telling you about some of the other Avengers? In particular Natasha?"

"You mean 'Black Widow'?" Pippin asked in clarification. The Took couldn't understand why any lass would want to title themselves after such a horrible creature. Rogers hadn't mentioned to Pippin in his descriptions of her that Romanoff was one of the Earth's master assassins.

Rogers nodded before continuing "People often call her the 'weakest' Avenger because she doesn't have the raw physical strength of Hulk or Thor's ability to summon lightning. But trust me, enemies underestimate Natasha at their peril!"

"Are you saying I should try and fight like her?"

"What I'm saying Pippin is that you should have a fighting style that plays to your strengths. One thing that you and Natasha have in common is that both your enemies underestimate you because of your size."

Pippin wondered how his size could possibly be an advantage in a fight. As he began training with Captain America, the answer to this mystery slowly began to reveal itself.

* * *

It was late evening and the Riders of Rohan had set up a makeshift camp for a few hours rest. Theoden wisely knew that both riders and their mounts still needed strength to fight the battle that lay ahead of them. All things going well they would reach Minas Tirith sometime the day after tomorrow.

Theoden was conferring with his key commanders on the ride that lay ahead. Rohan's high command was comprised of three Marshals of the Riddermark. With Eomer now his heir, Theoden had promoted him to the position of First Marshal that was held by Theodred. The Second Marshal was Elfhelm who was from Eastern Rohan. Eomer's promotion meant the position of Third Marshal had a vacancy. Theoden filled it with a trusted friend from the Westfold named Grimbold who was the Reed of the town called 'Grimslade'. Joining the King and his Three Marshals were Gamling and Thor. Theoden privately regretted not including Thor in planning the defence of Helm's Deep as his knowledge of warfare was superb as what Rogers had demonstrated at that time.

Thor had a small tent set up for him. He gave instruction that no one was to enter it without his permission. The one exception was his squire 'Dernhelm'. This conveniently allowed Eowyn and Merry a means to remain hidden from prying eyes.

"What is our path tomorrow?" Thor asked the Rohirrim around him with the exception of Eomer. Eomer had gone to get a message from a waiting herald just outside the King's tent

Pointing to a map laid out on a table Theoden answered the Asgardian's question.

"All things going well Prince Thor we shall pass along the northern edge of the Druadan Forest before reaching its eastern edge by late afternoon. I shall then order our Riders to take a few hours rest before we ride during the night so we can reach Minas Tirith by dawn the following day."

"I'm afraid that might not be now so simple milord." Eomer intervened as he returned to the group clutching a leather compendium that the herald had given him.

"What do you mean Eomer?" Theoden asked.

"The Prisoner in the Orthanc has found something that could be of interest to us." Eomer explained as he passed the compendium to Theoden.

By 'Prisoner in the Orthanc' everyone present knew Eomer was referring to Grima Wormtongue. Theoden flipped over the compendium that contained two documents. One was a note Saruman had made in intricate Sindarin. The other document was Grima's translation in the Common Tongue. One reason that Grima had borne disdain from his countrymen over the years was that he had a very un-Rohirric interest in Elven languages.

"It would appear my lords the enemy has prepared a trap for us along the Great West Road." Theoden regretfully advised. "According to the documents in front of me Saruman records that Sauron advised of his plans to place a significant force west of the beacon-hill of Amon Din."

Thor noted on the map this 'Amon Din' was just east of the Druadan.

"Such a force must have been deployed there after my four Fellowship-brothers crossed that point." Thor deduced. "We wouldn't have received the signal from Gondor otherwise."

Eomer nodded his agreement to this before saying, "Mordor's force is clearly to prevent any attempt by us to pass into Gondor. Unfortunately the documents give no indication of the force's composition or its numbers."

"Assuming such a force actually exists Lord Eomer!" Gamling countered. Grima may have received a conditional pardon but Gamling still didn't trust the man. "This could all be misinformation for us to waste time or divert us in another direction."

"We can't discount that possibility my friend." Eomer conceded to Gamling. "But at the same time we also can't discount this force existing simply because of the source of this information."

_If my nephew speaks in your defence Grima you may be able to return to Rohan sooner than you think!_ Theoden thought surprised at Eomer's remark.

"For the sake of argument, let's assume such a force exists." Thor began. "If we wish to avoid it in order to get to Minas Tirith what are our options?"

Elfhelm, who had long ridden these parts, responded by drawing the meeting's attention back to the map.

"There is a hidden road that runs through the Druadan that would take us around this force and allow us to get to Minas Tirith much quicker. Unfortunately that road has been lost to us for many years. Even if we knew its path, we would still run the risk of being attacked by the wild men who inhabit the forest.

"If we go north we would in effect add a day's travel to our journey. It's also a certainty that Mordor will have scouts in the area that would alert their masters to our presence. Mordor would then be able to send a sizeable force to intercept us before we even got to Minas Tirith."

The meeting paused to consider this for a few moments before Theoden broke the silence.

"Only one thing is certain my lords – war doesn't tolerate ambiguity." Theoden then turned his attention to his nephew. "Eomer, in the next couple of hours I want you to lead a handful of trusted riders from your personal eored to scout the Road ahead. We must know the truth least disaster befall us!"

"By your leave Theoden-king?" Thor prefaced. "If the First Marshal agrees I'd like to accompany his scouting party."

After receiving a nod from Theoden, Eomer answered "You would be most welcome to join us Prince Thor!" He then added with heavy understatement, "After the events of recent weeks, I suspect the members of my eored will be slightly more willing to take you at your word than when we first met!"

The meeting shared a laugh at this before Theoden dismissed them with "Please get what rest you can my lords." As the others took their leave, Theoden asked Thor to stay for a quick private discussion.

"I noticed your squire bearing Master Meriadoc despite my order that he stay behind?" Theoden inquired with a strong overtone of disapproval.

Thor had prepared a response in the event Theoden would raise this question. Thor darkly mused to himself silently that Loki's talent for lying would be useful to have right now.

"Unfortunately Theoden-king I didn't immediately pass on your instruction to young Dernhelm as I was distracted by other matters. By the time I recalled it we had gone too far in our journey for me to send Dernhelm back with Master Merry. I make no excuses for this and take full responsibility for this oversight. I will accept any sanction you wish to pose on me because of this."

Theoden gave Thor's left arm a reassuring grip with his right hand.

"I privately admit it was harsh of me to prevent Merry from joining us." Theoden began. "I only did so from the selfish reason that I could not bear to see any harm befall him. But given what he's been through and faced as part of your Fellowship, I have no place doubting his courage or his desire to be with his friends." Theoden then ordered Thor with a smile "My 'sanction' then Prince Thor is that you look after his person, if only as a personal favour to myself!"

"I've received a similar request from Banner milord before he parted ways with us at Dunharrow." Thor revealed before observing with mild sarcasm "I must be a greater fool than those Eomer referred to when we dined at Helm's Deep. Should I fail to protect Merry, I will be subject to your wrath in addition to Hulk's!"

More than a few minutes later Thor re-entered his tent. Both Eowyn and Merry were sleeping on their respective bedrolls. Thor smiled that Eowyn felt secure enough in his tent that she could sleep without having to hide her face. Merry began to stir.

"Thor?" he mumbled.

Thor indicated to Merry they should keep their voices down so as not to disturb Eowyn.

"I must take my leave from the pair of you for the next few hours." Thor explained. "There could be a large force of Mordor blocking the road ahead of us. I will be joining Eomer and a small scouting party to assess the situation. I can't take the pair of you with me as in such a small group Eomer would soon recognise who 'Dernhelm' really is."

"I understand Thor." Merry replied. "I guess the pair of us will just try and remain inconspicuous as possible while your away."

"I do have some good tidings though Merry. Theoden now accepts you as being part of this force." Merry smiled at this, which Thor returned as he continued "Both Bruce and Theoden asked me to keep an eye on you. But now I ask you to keep an eye on Eowyn during my absence. One thing I've learned about hobbits is that you know how to go unnoticed when you put your minds to it."

"If you're asking me to help Eowyn go about unnoticed I'll do what I can Thor." Merry agreed before observing "On that basis it's a good thing I'm the hobbit that stayed in Edoras and not Pippin!"

Thor only gave a big grin in response least Eowyn suddenly waken due to the hearty laugh he wanted to release.

* * *

Joining Eomer and Thor in the scouting party was Captain Eothain and five other riders from Eomer's eored. Eothain and these riders were relieved when Thor graciously told them he'd put their previous dispute well behind him. The scouting party left on its important mission during the late watches.

The Avenger could easily have outrun the scouting party on his own two legs. But as he was travelling into (for him) unfamiliar territory, Thor thought it best not to be too complacent in the face of the enemy. Thor had another reason to ride with Eomer and his men.

Thor accompanying the scouting party was the result of him weighing up some uneasy probabilities. The main body of the Rohirrim no longer had an Avenger present in their ranks. This meant it was much more vulnerable to potential Nazgul attack or other sorcery Sauron might chose to unleash. But Thor had rationalised that these dangers could befall the scouting party also. Given its numbers, the scouting party would be much more vulnerable to these sorts of attacks. However this vulnerability might only be a fraction worse than that of the main body of Rohirrim.

The scouting party verified the truth of Grima's report just after dawn. The party positioned itself on a wooden ridge in the Druadan that was some two hundred yards south-west of the force Mordor had deployed to block the Rohirrim's advance. This Mordor force was some three miles west of Amon Din along the Great West Road. The force was located between a denuded section of the Druadan Forest to its south and a series of steep hills to its north – a good location to create a bottleneck along the Road.

On each side of the road at right angles were three elongated, sequential trenches each being three yards wide. The trenches were approximately thirty yards apart from each other. The Mordor force had used the pine trees it had cut down to fashion sharp wooden stakes designed to impale man and horse alike. These stakes had been hammered in front of each trench. The force had also used the timber it had harvested to built a simple but sizeable wooden stockade. The Road ran between the trenches before it passed through the stockade's west gate and exited its east gate. The Road was only narrow enough for two horses to traverse abreast along it.

Manning the trenches were hordes of Mordor Orcs and Easterlings. Easterlings were Men from a confederation of many tribes occupying the eastern region of Middle-earth known as 'Rhun'. Outwardly, Easterlings were similar in appearance to ordinary Men, apart from their sallow skin, but inwardly they were cruel and loyal servants of Sauron. They paid their tribute to Sauron by their warriors serving as part of his army. Having had numerous conflicts with Gondor over the centuries, the Easterlings eagerly rallied to the Dark Lord's banner for the War of the Ring. Sauron had promised the Easterlings the northern lands of Gondor once their hated foe was defeated.

The Easterlings were skilled craftsmen even though they weren't Gondor's technological equals. The armour they wore was made of a series of locking lames of bronze that were combined to produce a distinctive pattern of jagged scales. Their bronze helmets were worn over a red silk headscarf with three angular crests at its top. The Easterlings were principally armed with razor-spiked polearms and three-foot long steel scimitars. The vast majority of Easterlings also carried a rectangular shield with concave top and bottom edges. The scouting party was currently observing many such armoured and equipped Easterlings posted in the trenches.

"Eothain," Eomer asked his eored's Captain "you've always been good at assessing the size of enemy forces. What's you're judgement here?"

Eothain thought for a couple of moments before answering.

"Given the size of the stockade, I would think a force of no less than five thousand milord. That estimate includes those we see in the trenches before us. Of course, those trenches will prevent us from sweeping them aside with a charge. If we dismount and fight on foot I think we could lose a third of our number by the time we reached the stockade walls."

"Under normal circumstances I would agree with you Eothain." Eomer replied before turning his attention to the only member of the scouting party currently not wearing a helmet. "Prince Thor, what are your thoughts?"

Thor didn't immediately reply as he considered the situation. At full power he could summon enough lightning to instantly vaporise the enemy and their fortifications. But this currently wasn't an option. The lightning he could summon would destroy most of the enemy but not quick enough to prevent some from slinking off and reporting the attack. He needed to find a means to leave no survivors among the enemy so the Rohirrim's trip to Minas Tirith could continue without the rest of the enemy being made aware of it.

"There is something I need to be sure of before I can answer your question Lord Eomer." Thor stated before surprising the rest of the scouting party by dismounting from Graegwind.

"What are you doing Prince Thor?" a confused Eomer questioned him.

"I won't be gone but for more than a few minutes." Thor calmly advised. "All of you please stay here until my return." Thor then whispered into Graegwind's ear, "Pass this message to your equine-brothers least their riders have less than sense than they do!" Graegwind simply gave a quiet snort in reply as Thor petted his left cheek. The Avenger then disappeared into the forest jogging to the north-east.

"Is Prince Thor taking a closer look at the enemy milord?" Eothain asked Eomer.

"We all saw what Prince Thor is capable of when we arrived at Helm's Deep my friend." Eomer pointed out. "It is beyond me to forecast the actions of a man with the title of 'God of Thunder'. I hope at least it isn't beyond me not to be too surprised by whatever he does next!"

Eomer failed to meet this self-imposed challenge when a few moments later, he and the other scouting party watched open-mouthed Thor briskly walking towards the enemy lines in plain sight. The Rohirrim weren't the only ones surprised by the God of Thunder's actions.

The leader of the Mordor force was a tall, heavy-set black skinned orc named Morgash. Morgash wore a patch over his left eye upon his bulldog face. Following Morgash was the commander of the Easterling detachment. They were both climbing a rickety ladder into one of the crude wooden lookout towers that peaked above the stockade.

"What is it?" Morgash growled at the sentry who had summoned him.

"Walking towards us on the road in front of us sir!" the sentry pointed out while flinching slightly at Morgash's clear annoyance.

Thor was not much more than two hundred yards away from the first line of trenches still continuing to walk at the same pace.

"He could be a insane fool or one of those Rohirrim we're supposed to lookout for." Morgash judged of the intruder. "Whoever 'e is I wanna know." He turned attention to the Easterling Commander before barking at him "Get your horsemen off their lazy backsides and bring 'im back 'ere as our prisoner!"

The Easterling Commander's eyes narrowed at this. He didn't appreciate Morgash speaking to him like another foul and stupid orc. This matter could wait though. The Easterling Commander gave out a quick order in the Rhunnic tongue to one of his subordinates at ground level.

The Easterlings had in their detachment a sizeable company of cavalry known as 'Variags'. The Variags were from the region of Khand that lied to the east of Mordor. Khand had been supplying horses for Mordor to use throughout the centuries and the Variags were among the best of any mounted warriors in Sauron's service. In appearance, they and their steeds wore bronze armour similar in fashion to that worn by the Clibanarii that served in the ranks of Sassanid Persia.

Thor was about 100 yards away from the first series of trenches when he noticed a group of six Variags rushing towards him intent on his capture. One Variag was carrying a large net while the other five were armed with lances and scimitars. Without breaking stride Thor withdrew Mjolnir from his belt and after it made a metallic hum, he threw it at the oncoming cavalry. Mjolnir cleanly knocked the Variags off from their mounts in less than a few moments before it returned to Thor's hand. The Variags' horses reared in surprise at suddenly not having riders urging them forward.

A stunned Morgash exclaimed, "That's one of 'em Avengers we've been told about!" Noticing the orc sentry next to him hadn't even moved after witnessing Thor's demonstration of power, Morgash yelled at him in a voice heard by all subordinates within the immediate vicinity_ "Don't just stare maggots! Kill 'im!_"

A series of horns were sounded around the encampment. This signalled the order to fell Thor in a hail of arrows. While this commotion had been taking place, Thor raised Mjolnir aloft while continuing to walk towards the enemy's lines. He began to rotate his arm in rapid small circles that caused the sky over the trenches and encampment to darken. For the first time in the history of Middle-earth, a force of Mordor was afraid of a black clouded sky above it. Thor was about fifty yards from the enemy when the order to release arrows was given. Thor simultaneously halted and rapidly struck the ground with Mjolnir.

Three tornadoes each the strength of the one Thor summoned against the Asgardian Destroyer instantly descended from the sky. The trio of tornadoes effortlessly deflected the arrows that were shot at Thor before proceeding to tear into the hapless defenders and their fortifications. Thor mentally directed two tornadoes to destroy the enemy trenches and the remaining one straight up the road towards the stockade.

The tornadoes powerful winds sucked up defenders and their beasts into the sky. The stakes in front of the trenches may have been able to impale a cavalry charge but not an attack by a class five tornado. The stakes were torn up from the ground and the ground itself often buried trench occupants or suffocated them with dirt getting in their lungs. Morgash and the Easterling Commander tried to dive off the top of the sentry tower as a tornado directly approached them. But they were sucked into it before the tornado proceeded to smash the tower into matchsticks and doing much the same to the rest of the stockade.

Thor called off this attack after a few minutes. As the sky began to rapidly clear again he was able to assess the damage his attack had done. All the fortifications had been destroyed or knocked down and large amounts of soil had filled the trenches that the forces of Mordor had dug over the last two days. Countless corpses of orcs and Easterlings littered the site indicating no survivors from this attack. Thor's only regret was that his attack had killed the horses Easterlings used for mounts. It was for this reason that Thor didn't want Graegwind to be present when this attack took place. His conscience hoped that his steed would understand why he had to kill so many of Graegwind's kind. After this short period of reflection, Thor jogged back to where he left the Rohirrim scouting party.

Eomer and the rest of the scouting party witnessed Thor's attack and were struggling to believe what they saw. Not just the destructive power that Thor had unleashed. But the fact that the Avenger was able to concentrate the tornadoes effects within a confined area. The only effects the scouting party had felt from the tornadoes were some close by pines swaying as if being touched by a gentle breeze. Thor seemed to be unaware of the awed and disbelieving looks he was receiving by the time he got back to them. After he remounted Graegwind, Thor spoke to Eomer in an almost casual tone.

"In response to your question Lord Eomer – my thoughts are the road to Minas Tirith is clear!"

* * *

**A shorter chapter compared to the previous few. But I hope Thor's display of power nonetheless made it interesting. I'm expecting a much longer chapter when we next read about the Thor and the Rohirrim. The content of this chapter formed in my mind soon after I began playing with the idea of Grima surviving.**

**I've always thought the Fall of Gondolin would be a cinematic spectacle equal to any of the battles within the **_**Lord of the Rings**_** Film Trilogy.**

**The next chapter will focus on the Fellowship members going to secure the aid of the Army of the Dead.**


	35. Conflicting Greens

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

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01/07/2013

Because I've been on leave over the last week and a half I've been able to have a quick turnaround of chapters.

**aspiringactor:** Tolkien trained to be a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. But for reasons never made clear he never took up the role when WW2 broke out. The Strategic Scientific Reserve and British Intelligence had a close working relationship. But my theory is that it would've been unlikely that Cap and Tolkien would've crossed paths given the latter's decision.

**ZabuzasGirl:** I assume you're enjoying the story given the similar review you post at the end of each chapter ;)

* * *

**Chapter 35 – Conflicting Greens**

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Banner continued their journey along the Paths of the Dead. The 'path' they were following was a narrow gorge with solid cliffs of grey granite on either side. The path was also strewn with boulders to navigate which meant the fastest the four's steeds could travel was a steady walk. A chilling wind seemed to blow perpetually through the gorge that made it echo with a sound like human moaning and wailing.

Their destination was a mountain named 'The Dwimorberg'. Aragorn told Banner the name meant 'haunted mountain' in the Riddermark tongue. The Dwimorberg was where the Army of the Dead could be found. Through his travelling companions, Banner discovered other names of this force to be 'Dead Men of Dunharrow' and 'Those that dwell under the Mountain'. Another title that Aragorn mentioned with an uncharacteristic display of disgust was 'Oathbreakers'. Banner thought the Free Peoples and Thor had one thing in common. The breaking of any vow, no matter how minor, was considered to be among the most heinous of crimes. Banner began wondering how someone like Aragorn would fare if the King of Gondor were, instead of birthright, chosen by popular election like US political leaders. He quickly halted these thoughts. The atmosphere of the Paths of the Dead was depressing enough.

To break the awkward silence that had come over the group, Banner asked his friends "So is the Dwimorberg like some series of catacombs or underground tombs?"

"It would be more correct to say Bruce that the Dwimorberg provides the Oathbreakers with the illusion of a tomb." Aragorn enigmatically answered.

"What kind of an army would linger in such a place?" Gimli questioned.

"One that is cursed." Legolas replied having been born less than a century after the Oathbreakers came into being. "Long ago, the Men of the White Mountains swore an oath to Isildur to come to his aid when called on. But when the War of the Last Alliance came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge."

Aragorn then softly recited part of a verse of a song about the Oathbreakers that Elrond taught him. He recited this verse largely in the hope it proved to be true.

"_Who shall call them from the great twilight? The forgotten people. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the North shall he come, need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead._"

"Wait," Banner interrupted "how could Isildur even effect a curse like that? Was he able to do it after he had the Ring?"

Aragorn realised for too long he'd been judging Isildur solely because he took possession of the One Ring. It was about time to start acknowledging the greatness and nobility that Isildur displayed throughout his life that made him such a revered King of Men.

"No!" Aragorn firmly discounted. "Isildur may have taken the Ring but no where is it recorded he used it for evil ends. Besides, Isildur cursed the Oathbreakers well before the Ring came into his possession."

"Then how-" a confused Banner began before being interrupted by Legolas

"The truth has never been revealed as to how exactly the curse was affected Bruce." the Prince of Mirkwood advised. "The Faithful of Numenor were capable of great feats beyond those of Men of the current Age. Perhaps the curse was affected because the oath was sworn upon the Black Stone, a powerful relic the Faithful brought with them, that rests atop the Hill of Erech. And perhaps it was because the Oathbreakers found that even death couldn't lift the weight of their guilty consciences."

The four reached their destination by late afternoon. The entrance into the Dwimorberg was the size of a normal door. There were skulls embedded into the rock on either side of it and above were black runes of warriors fighting on foot and horseback. A few barren trees lay close to the entrance.

They dismounted from their three horses, and with the exception of Gimli, held them by their reins. Aragorn had already withdrawn Anduril from its sheath.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away." Gimli whispered as a comment about the atmosphere pervading the entrance.

_Wouldn't be the first time I've felt like that Gimli._ Banner silently ruminated.

Legolas began to read the runes above the entrance.

"'The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the Dead keep it. The way is shut.'"

As if to exemplify this warning, a blast of icy cold air exited the entrance and hit the travelling party. The horses immediately panicked at this and bolted back the way the Fellowship members had came. Aragorn vainly tried to call them back but, depending on one's perspective, the horses were too frightened or too intelligent to return to their riders.

Now without their mounts, the four faced the entrance into the Dwimorberg.

"I do not fear death!" Aragorn defiantly stated through clenched teeth. He then quickly and firmly walked into the darkness the entrance led to.

Legolas hesitated for a few seconds before following his friend determinedly. That left Gimli and Banner who was to his right.

"Well, this is a thing unheard of." Gimli nervously commented. "An Elf will go underground where a Dwarf dare not!"

"If it helps Gimli," Banner advised in the same tone "even the Other Guy is unsettled by whatever's in there."

Gimli and Banner began to approach the entrance. Just before they passed through it, Gimli bought Banner to a halt by resting his hand on the Avenger's stomach.

"Don't tell the Elf what I just said!" Gimli pleaded. One thing he feared more than the Dwimorberg was giving more material to Legolas to use for playful teasing.

"Back at you Gimli." Banner replied. "Like yourself, Hulk's got a reputation to protect…"

* * *

Aragorn found a torch just inside the entrance and held it lit in his left hand while tightly gripping Anduril in his right. The light provided by the torch gave a good enough impression of the darkened tunnel the four were traversing. A thick perpetual fog that was as high as Gimli's chest covered the tunnel floor. The tunnel walls had wide cracks that were full of human skulls. One country that Banner hid in while on the run was Cambodia. The skulls reminded him of the displays of skulls in that country's museums of the countless victims of the evil perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge while it was in power. Banner found the skulls of the Dwimorberg almost unsettled him as much as those in Cambodia did.

Legolas was pensively looking as if he had spotted something.

"What is it?" Gimli asked him having noticed the Elf's behaviour. "What do you see?"

"I see shapes of men." Legolas warily began. "And of horses. Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist. The Dead are following us. They have been summoned!"

Legolas had no sooner said these words than the mist surrounding the floor began to take the shape of skeletal arms and hands trying to claw at the Fellowship members. The four waved their hands and arms around that caused these misty limbs to dissipate. In an almost comical display, Gimli took to exhaling heavy breaths to achieve this effect.

_Not yet!_ Banner inwardly told Hulk who wanted to show the Oathbreakers that he wasn't intimidated by this display.

The four eventually came to a large cavern on which its eastern side was a large, stone edifice. The edifice reminded Banner of the Al Khazneh that was part of the ancient ruins of Petra located in Jordan. Banner didn't have the time to think much about archaeological comparisons as a chilling, disembodied voice echoed loudly in the cavern.

"Who enters my domain?"

At these words a green, ghostly figure appeared in front of the edifice. It was the King of the Oathbreakers. While a ghostly figure, Banner could still make out the luminous rotting flesh and scraggly beard on his face as well as his pair of putrid eyes. The king wore a ghostly crown atop his head as well as a similar cuirass of interlacing leather straps. A cloak of pure red was the only point of colour on the King's green spectral form.

"One who will have your allegiance." Aragorn met the King's challenge.

The King cold replied "The Dead do not suffer the living to pass."

"You will suffer me!" Aragorn insisted.

The King released a maniacal laugh at what he thought to be an empty threat. As if their King's laugh was a signal, the rest of the Oathbreakers revealed themselves. They were all similar in appearance to their King except they didn't have a splash of colour besides green. Some were mounted on spectral horses as Legolas had earlier sensed. Also revealed were ghostly buildings that Banner thought gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'spiritual home'. The Oathbreakers had completely surrounded the quartet and began to close in on them.

"The way is shut." The King repeated the runes at the entrance of the Dwimorberg. "It was made by those who are dead. And the Dead keep it. The way is shut."

The Oathbreakers didn't take lightly to any living being impudently believing it had authority over them. Secretly, the Oathbreakers had long given up being released from their curse. Rumours had long reached them that the line of Isildur was no more. They tried to seek solace in the fact that everything else in Middle-earth whether it was good or evil feared their power. This fear allowed them to build a literal ghostly kingdom centred on the Dwimorberg without the concern of being disturbed by others. They wanted to be left alone with their regret and self-pity for all eternity.

With a sense of malevolent glee the King advised the Fellowship members of their fate for disturbing the Oathbreakers - "Now you must die!"

"I summon you to fulfil your oath!" Aragorn stated trying to keep his rising sense of dread under control.

"None but the King of Gondor may command Me." the King scoffed at Aragorn's request.

Legolas released an arrow that harmless flew through the Oathbreaker's spectral forms. Banner then allowed the Other Guy to give his opinion on the King's verdict. In a blink of an eye Banner transformed into Hulk and the Avenger's angry cry loudly engulfed the cavern. This signalled the beginning of a series of surprises for the Oathbreakers. In fact, they would receive more shocks over the next few minutes than they'd received in total over the last three millennia.

The vast majority of Oathbreakers, including the King, suddenly halted at the appearance of a creature unlike any they'd ever witnessed living or dead. A handful Oathbreakers assumed Hulk was like any other living creature of flesh and blood and moved to attack him. While the Oathbreakers carried ghostly longswords, axes and spears of archaic design, these 'weapons' were really just for show. The Oathbreakers actually killed by their spectral touch that sucked the very life energy out of their victims. All the Oathbreakers were staggered to see Hulk still standing after this attack! Banner would later theorise that perhaps the gamma radiation that was an inherent part of his & Hulk's DNA may have neutralised the Oathbreakers' power in this regard.

With a snarl of contempt Hulk gave a loud clap of his hands. The noise from the clap caused the whole chamber to marginally shake. The phosphorescent ranks of the Oathbreakers in front of Hulk momentarily dissipated from the clap's shockwave. No Oathbreaker had been destroyed by Hulk's attack. But no living being was supposed to be able to withstand them like this!

Prior to Hulk's appearance, the King had withdrawn his sword and was moving to smite Aragorn with it. His momentary distraction by Hulk was all the opportunity Aragorn needed. With a rapid downward strike of Anduril, Aragorn knocked the King's sword from his hand causing it to make an earthly clatter as it hit the ground. The King didn't even have time to be shocked at this as Aragorn authoritatively grasped his throat. For the first time in millennia, the King felt the sensation of choking as a result of Aragorn's grip. Only one man could both be immune to the Oathbreaker's touch as well as actually harm them in this sense…

"That line was broken!" the King gasped in disbelief that this man had to be none other than Isildur's heir.

"It's been remade!" Aragorn firmly advised before roughly releasing the King from his grip. The Ranger then began to speak to the Oathbreakers as a whole. "Fight for us, and regain your honour. What say you?"

The Oathbreakers shuffled nervously and gave Aragorn and themselves uncertain looks with their deadened eyes. Gimli decided to apply to the Oathbreakers what Rogers did to him when the six hunters were racing across the Wold. He heard the American describe it as 'reverse psychology'.

"You waste your time, Aragorn!" Gimli observed in reference to the Oathbreakers. "They had no honor in life, they have none now in death. We don't need them any more seeing we have the Avengers like Master Hulk here fighting for our cause. Let's just leave these ghosts here so they can feel sorry for themselves until the world's end!"

"I am Isildur's heir!" Aragorn proudly revealed his heritage taking Gimli's 'suggestion' in his stride. "Fight for me, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled! What say you?!"

The King began releasing a loud and bitter laugh at which he and the Oathbreakers began to disappear from the presence of the Fellowship members.

"_You have my word!_" Aragorn desperately stated. Did the Oathbreakers no longer care about their cursed existence? "Fight and I will release you from this living death!"

"Stand you traitors!" Gimli joined in worried his previous words to the Oathbreakers had the opposite effect of what he'd intended.

The Fellowship members soon found themselves alone again in cavern. Suddenly, the mist surrounding them started to blow everywhere and the ground began to violently shake. The edifice began to crumble and limitless numbers of skulls began pouring out in its wake.

"OUT!" Aragorn shouted least he and his companions become buried under the avalanche of rock and bone.

Hulk was quickest to respond. In an instant he scooped Aragorn in one arm and with the other Legolas and Gimli. Hulk charged through the falling debris carrying the trio without breaking stride. They escaped the cavern by a tunnel that exited out of the south-east of the Dwimorberg. Hulk released Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli once they were outside again. The four were atop a slope from which the expanses of Southern Gondor stretched eastwards before them.

Aragorn sunk to his knees in despair. The first time he openly called on his heritage in order to aid the Free Peoples had ended in failure. The Army of the Dead would not be coming to aid him in rescuing Minas Tirith from Sauron. The Free Peoples would likely suffer a huge total of casualties in the upcoming battle even with the Avengers aiding them. As Rogers pointed out in Edoras, such losses may break the will of the World of Men to fight the Dark Lord. Men would then sue for peace and they would accept whatever terms Sauron offered them. One term would certainly be that there never again be a King to occupy Gondor's throne. For a long time Aragorn had said he never wanted that throne. But now as he contemplated that possibility, he felt a terrible sense of personal failure towards all his friends and countless others who were expecting him to fulfil his destiny.

_Forgive me my beloved!_ Aragorn silently begged of Arwen whose death was now almost a certainty.

As if reading his friend's mind, Legolas placed a comforting hand on Aragorn's shoulder. Immediately following this, the four felt an icy wind coming from their left. They turned their attention to the Dwimorberg and saw the King of the Oathbreakers walk intangibly through the rock to stand next to them. Hulk gave the King an angry growl.

The King's eyes flickered at Hulk for a moment before he returned his gaze to Aragorn. In a determined tone, the King gave Aragorn the Oathbreaker's formal response to his earlier offer - "We fight!"

Aragorn rose to his feet before calmly replying "My humble gratitude for your aid milord."

"Well," a boisterous Gimli began "now that we're an invincible force all we have to do is engage the enemy! How far to Pelargir from here?"

"Three and ninety leagues in a straight line Gimli." Legolas plainly advised. "That distance is 360 miles by road."

"Oh." a rapidly deflated Gimli responded.

"Without our steeds we won't be able to reach Pelargir in time to intercept the Corsairs let alone prevent them from reaching Minas Tirith." Aragorn soberly concluded.

Because their backs were turned to him, Hulk's companions didn't see the wide grin that burst across his face at Aragorn's remark. Hulk now realised why Elrond and Galadriel wanted Banner and himself to accompany Aragorn on this journey. In a close repetition of his actions in the Dwimorberg, Hulk rapidly grabbed Gimli and Aragorn and tucked them in the folds of his right and left arm respectively. He then locked eyes with Legolas. Remembering the agility and balance that Legolas demonstrated in Moria, Hulk then jerked his head towards himself. Legolas quickly got the hint.

"Apologies Master Hulk!" Legolas said with an understanding smile. The Elf rapidly jumped up Hulk's back before coming to rest sitting with his legs around Hulk's neck. Putting his hands across Hulk's forehead to grip, Legolas finished with "Your three companions momentarily forgot all you are capable of!"

Legolas' legs brushed against Gimli's face that earned him a "Mind your feet Elf!" from the Dwarf.

"_Which way?_" Hulk grumbled to his passengers.

A considerably emboldened Aragorn replied "At the bottom of this slope you'll find a road Master Hulk. Please follow it eastwards and we'll tell you when we've reached Pelargir!"

Hulk leapt down the slope with a roar of anticipation. His three passengers felt the jolt from the impact of his landing before he began running on the dusty road to Pelargir. At a signal from their King, the Oathbreakers poured out of the Dwimorberg like a vapour cloud rapidly following the four. A green force of matchless strength journeyed across Gondor intent on a showdown with minions of Sauron.

* * *

It was early morning the following day. The fleet of fifty black ships that had decimated Gondor's navy was snaking northwards along the Anduin closing in on their penultimate target. Each ship was about 450 feet long and 45 feet in the beam and was moved by large crimson sails raised on three masts. Each ship carried a crew of approximately three hundred men. Their crews were the Corsairs of Umbar.

The haven of Umbar sat on the northern coast of Harad. Umbar used to be a part of Gondor in ages past. But during Gondor's period of kin-strife, Umbar sided with the rebels and pursued a path of independence. Over time the inhabitants of Umbar drew to their number various outlaws and brigands which led to a culture of piracy. The Corsairs had for centuries raided and pillaged the coast of Gondor as well as intercepting its merchant vessels. The Corsairs' activity was one of the major reasons for the impoverishment of Gondor's economy for the last millennium by its historic standards.

Sauron had recruited the Corsairs as mercenaries to fight in the War of the Ring. As the Council of Gondor discerned, the Corsairs were to tie down the forces of Gondor's southern fiefdoms to prevent them from reinforcing Minas Tirith. Sauron commissioned the Corsairs to loot and pillage Southern Gondor to their black hearts' content so long as they arrived in Minas Tirith the following day to reinforce his besieging army. The Corsairs had so far been raiding smaller settlements but now one of their main prizes was within their sights.

Pelargir was built on the mouth of a delta located on the west bank of the Anduin. The city centre was a large triangular fortress build on an island in the middle of the delta. The centre was connected to the mainland by tall stone bridges running north-east and south-west. Semi-circular stone walls protected the parts of Pelargir that were on the mainland. Pelargir was shadow of its former glory as Gondor's great port city. All its inhabitants had been withdrawn into the city centre where a mere six hundred defenders stood ready to protect them. Unlike Minas Tirith, Pelargir didn't possess any siege machinery to ward off enemy attack.

The first objective of the Corsairs was to secure Pelargir's lighthouse that stood on a small rocky island south-east of the city centre. As the lead ships began to reduce speed so they could launch their assault, the Corsairs noticed on the island's docks a Man, an Elf and a Dwarf standing there as if ready to confront them. To the left of the Man was a high pile of wooden crates and boxes.

"Halt!" the Man called out to them. "You'll go no further. Your current campaign of piracy ends here!"

The Corsairs who heard this to a man released loud and derisive laughs at the Man's bravado. The Captain of the Corsair fleet, whose ship was in its van, scoffed back a reply.

"Our current campaign has barely started fool! In fact you and your two friends are about to be its latest victims!"

The four Fellowship members and the Oathbreakers arrived at Pelargir just before dawn. The Fellowship members could've gotten there a lot quicker if Hulk was allowed to leap his way towards their destination. But Aragorn didn't want to leave the Oathbreakers out of his sight until Minas Tirith had been saved. The Pelargir authorities didn't argue with who Aragorn said he was given the force he commanded. They happily accepted his offer that he and his 'friends' would deal with the upcoming Corsair attack.

"This is your first and final warning." Aragorn continued unruffled at the Corsair's mockery. "Release your prisoners, surrender ten of your ships and return to your homes. Do this and you have my word your lives will be spared!"

Aragorn wanted to kill as little of his fellow Men in this War as possible. Many Men in the ranks of Sauron's army had undoubtedly been forced to fight for the Dark Lord against their free will. Such conscripts were the victims of Sauron's tyranny as any of the Free Peoples were. The Corsair Captain quickly revealed that he and his fellows were more than willing servants of Mordor.

"And you've my word we have no prisoners. On this campaign we've been killing every captive we've been taking!"

The Corsairs let out a cruel laugh of pride at this deed. Aragorn decided that as the Corsairs had boasted of showing no mercy they would receive none from him.

"That's it you filthy pirates!" Gimli cried out relishing what was about to happen to the Corsairs. "Prepare to meet a watery grave!"

In some ways the Captain felt sorry he would have to kill the trio. The three had at least provided some entertainment before they met their deaths.

"You can't make a hole in water like you can in caves you daft Dwarf!" the Captain derisively replied.

With a cold smile Aragorn observed sotto voce "Who said your graves are ones that first need to be dug…"

At a nod from Aragorn, Legolas put his fingers to mouth and released a high-pitched whistle that signalled the beginning of their attack. With a frightening roar Hulk burst out from behind the pile of boxes next to Aragorn while the Oathbreakers poured out of the island's interior. The Corsairs only had time to release a brief, terrified scream at the attack that had been unleashed upon them.

With a powerful leap (that caused the part of the dock he was standing on to break away) Hulk soared above the Corsair fleet before landing in the water in the middle of the fleet. The large ripples caused by Hulk's impact caused the four Corsair ships closest to it to capsize. Hulk quickly resurfaced and began leaping from ship to ship sweeping away their hapless crews before punching holes into their ship's hull causing them to rapidly sink. In one attack, Hulk ripped of the main mast of one ship and leapt onto another bringing the mast down through its deck like a hunter spearing a wild animal. Many of the Corsairs jumped overboard to escape Hulk's wrath but this was a futile action.

The spectral forms of the Oathbreakers simply glided along the surface of the Anduin before they moved into the hulls of the Corsair ships and began systemically killing their crews. Those that tried to swim away the Oathbreakers easily caught before they had a chance to escape.

Some ships at the rear of the fleet tried to turn around to escape but all they did was prolong their doom a little while longer. Standing on the deck of a Corsair ship where resistance had been eliminated, Hulk noticed these ships trying to escape. Hulk quickly moved to the stern of the ship and lightly dropped into the water from it. Hulk gave a powerful clap of his hands under the surface of the water. The shockwave from it caused a powerful wave to surge in the direction of the retreating ships that quickly consumed them and their crews. The wave either sank these boats or smashed them onto land. The Oathbreakers killed any survivors who landed ashore.

The Battle for Pelargir was over in a few minutes. Before the battle commenced, Aragorn had ordered Hulk and the Oathbreakers to leave ten Corsair ships to carry all the reinforcements he wanted to bring to Minas Tirith.

Hulk gave a satisfied grunt at his handiwork before he quickly swam to the riverbank closest to him. Once he was on land, he leapt towards the island where the other Fellowship members still were. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli felt the ground shudder beneath them when Hulk landed a short distance away from them and the docks. Hulk casually strutted through the intangible ranks of Oathbreakers before stopping where the other Fellowship members were. Aragorn gave Hulk a nod and simple smile of appreciation for his actions in defeating the menace of the Corsairs of Umbar.

Hulk gave a wide grin in response before proudly declaring "_Hulk Splash!_"

The Oathbreakers were puzzled why the Man, Elf and Dwarf happily laughed in response to this strange creature's even stranger remark.

* * *

**PJ had to greatly condense the distance between the Dwimorberg and the Anduin for the purpose of the film. The written word allows one to detail the topography of Middle-earth much more accurately.**

**The consensus on various forums and bulletin board is the Oathbreakers can move up to 40mph. Given this speed and with Hulk slowing down for them, I thought the Fellowship and the Oathbreakers could get to Pelargir after a night's journey from the Dwimorberg.**

**Banner's thoughts on US Elections could equally apply to a lot of other countries elections including my own.**

**Due to work commitments the next chapter will be a couple of weeks away.**


	36. White versus Black

**Disclaimer:** I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.

* * *

25/07/2013

Thanks readers for your patience in waiting for this chapter. It's the longest written for this story so far. Once I started writing about the Siege of Gondor, I found I wanted to include all its events in one chapter.

**elmoisemo6:** One thing I've gained in writing this story is a greater appreciation of the deeds performed by the canonical Fellowship.

**gunman:** I used the size of the fleet mentioned in the book so there could be more 'Hulk Smash/Splash'. The ship dimensions and crew sizes are drawn from the source book I mentioned at the start of Chapter 33. The size of the British Fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar was around thirty ships with a total crew complement of just over 18,000.

**transformice907**: I'm sorry you have to do a holiday assignment. I certainly didn't like having to do them when I went to school. You can use as much of this story as you like. Fingers crossed you get a good mark from it.

* * *

**Chapter 36 – White versus Black**

The morning of Mordor's assault on Minas Tirith had come.

Boromir, Rogers and Gandalf had positioned themselves on the Othram along with the vast bulk of the professional soldiers contributing to the defence. Gandalf was mounted on Shadowfax acting as a type of mobile command post and messenger. Heavy infantry and armoured archers would be the front line of the city's defence along with the crews that operated the trebuchets along the Othram. Similar to the Galadhrim at Helm's Deep, nearly all the best defenders of Minas Tirith were placed to absorb the enemy's initial line of attack.

Gondor's Rangers led by Faramir were the obvious exception of professional troops not on the Othram. They were located along the defences of the second level. Their numbers were bolstered by a number of retired veterans who were skilled with a bow. The initial role of these forces was to provide fire support to the Othram defenders. It was agreed that Gondor's elite skirmishers and their Captain would be the best at coordinating such support. This included having to defend against the expected aerial attacks from the Nazgul and their fell-beasts.

The veterans that had melee combat experience were placed at several staging posts on the first level. They were under orders to remain at these posts until called out to fight as reserves. Pippin was among their number.

The other male volunteers were positioned throughout the first three levels. They were organised to play supporting roles once the battle started. These volunteers were all given a melee weapon of some type. This was for self-defence rather than from any serious consideration of them being frontline fighters. A number of volunteers had been assigned to operate the air defences Rogers had organised.

Boromir was pleased that morale across all ranks remained good despite the dire situation. There wasn't even a shortage of volunteers to provide logistic support on the first level where the fighting was initially going to be the heaviest. Whatever the outcome of the battle, Boromir was confident the defence of Minas Tirith would be one that the city's founders would be proud of.

Rogers had his mask down. He looked left towards Boromir who stood a few yards away. Boromir was carrying his signature round shield. Like all officers, Boromir's barbut helmet had thin, entwined golden lines that ran horizontally around its base. But attached at the top of its nose-guard was a small, white metal crest in the shape of two feathered wings joined at the tip. This distinguished Boromir as Gondor's Captain-General along with the Horn of Gondor hanging down from his shoulders.

Rogers then turned his attention to the Hosts of Mordor that, under the cover of Sauron's fume, looked ten times more menacing than their actual quarter million size. The vast bulk of Mordor's force was comprised of orcs wearing cast iron armour and similar cast weapons. Like at Helm's Deep, the besiegers appeared to have a number of warg-riders for the purposes of communication between ranks.

Rogers got his first look at the Men allied to Sauron that Gandalf had referred too earlier. They included Easterlings similar to what Eomer's scouting party had encountered. The Haradrim wore a variety of robes and turbans and were armed with longbows and spears.

Rogers thought the Mountain Trolls that were part of the horde were not only bigger than the Moria Cave Troll but also more sophisticated. Some operated siege machinery while others steadily beat large drums that hung around their chests to impose discipline in the ranks. The most dangerous appeared to be those that wore heavy armour and carried large clubs and war hammers that Boromir had referred to as 'Attack Trolls'. There were too many Attack Trolls among Mordor's ranks even for Captain America's liking.

The thing that troubled Rogers more was that there was no sign of the Nazgul. Not that this was a bad thing in itself. But Rogers had no doubt the Witch-king was holding back himself and the rest of the Nine until they could do the most damage. Over the last few days, Rogers poured over all the intelligence reports on the Nazgul contained within Gondor's archives (Faramir was a great aid in that regard). Rogers read about the campaign the Witch-king led at Sauron's behest that destroyed Gondor's sister kingdom of Arnor more than a millennium ago. Rogers concluded that the Witch-king wasn't just an evil being of great power. The Lord of the Nazgul exhibited all the hallmarks of a brilliant and cunning military commander.

Rogers spotted a large number of orcs carrying tattered, black canvas banners that were rectangular in shape. The banners had a crude red eye painted on them symbolising the Eye of Sauron. These banners, the way Mordor's ranks were deployed and their cries of bloodlust reminded Rogers of the newsreels he had seen of the Nazi rallies held at Nuremberg. The orcs soon proved they were cruel equals of the most depraved members of the Third Reich.

Minas Tirith's commanders avoided the temptation of ordering the city's trebuchets to bombard the enemy while they deployed. Despite the preparations over the last few days, the trebuchets still only had a limited ammunition supply. Every shot would need to count against the vast number of Mordor's catapults and seventy-foot siege towers that would be bought to bear against the Othram. It was on this basis that Boromir restrained from ordering a return fire when just a handful of catapults released their payloads. The payloads first looked to be clusters of small stones.

The Witch-king decided the Osgiliath prisoners could still be of use despite them being dead. The 'stones' that landed among the ranks of the Othram defenders were the severed heads of the unfortunate Osgiliath prisoners. This was to break the spirits of Minas Tirith's defenders before the battle had even begun.

The Othram defenders were appalled at what had landed at their feet despite being used to the horrors of war. A number of the defenders recognised the severed heads of comrades and friends they had known. Sensing the morale of the defenders beginning to waiver, Boromir placed the Horn of Gondor to his lips. The Horn's loud note seemingly echoed throughout Minas Tirith and every defender turned to the Acting Steward who had raised his sword. Even those defenders on the second and third levels strained to hear the words Boromir began loudly speaking.

"My brothers now you know the enemy we face! It's the same enemy that has threatened our country ever since its foundation.

"Elendil, his sons and your own forebears knew that against the forces of Mordor there can be no surrender. The only true choice for those opposed to the Dark Lord is to resolutely face him and fight until victory is won!

"Many of you may think victory impossible given our situation. It's true that a merciless enemy surrounds and vastly outnumbers us. But it's also true that even if just one us fights for Gondor's freedom our situation is not hopeless!

"As the greatest soldier I've ever known once said to me, wars may be fought with weapons but they are won by men. We can win this battle my brothers because we are the best of men! MEN OF GONDOR!"

Boromir turned his attention to Rogers while all the defenders that had heard his speech roared their approval of its sentiments. Rogers gave Boromir a knowing smile and a sharp salute in response. Rogers was honoured by Boromir's references to him in his pre-battle speech. But Rogers was also proud in the transformation that had come over Boromir in the time he'd known him. When Rogers first met him, Boromir seemed jaded and despondent about Gondor's chances of defeating Mordor. But now, even with the enemy right on Minas Tirith's doorstep, Boromir sincerely believed Gondor could prevail no matter the odds against her. More importantly, he'd rallied those under his command to share his view despite the attempts of the orcs to break their spirits.

Gandalf shared Rogers' pride in Boromir in addition to another reason. Boromir was no longer leading the forces of Gondor as his father's son but instead as his own man. Gandalf also turned his gaze to Rogers. The American was a large part of the reason for Boromir's change in outlook. After Gandalf came back from the dead he was carried to Lothlorien by the Lord of the Great Eagles to recover. Galadriel told Gandalf that, in some ways, Captain America was the most important of the three Avengers to have come to Middle-earth. The principal reason being that Rogers knew how to help others find hope.

Gandalf was quietly pleased with himself. In Moria he handed over the Fellowship's leadership to two men who shared the same quality.

* * *

Gandalf had previewed this battle using the metaphors of a chess game. But in this chess game, Black got to move first.

The vast array of Mordor catapults released stones each weighing ten to twenty pounds that had been placed in their buckets by Mountain Trolls. The stones weren't much of a threat to the Othram but the buildings it protected weren't made of its same indestructible material. Nor were the defenders that were placed along it. The stones released from many catapults crashed into buildings on the first level while the occasional shot scattered and killed the Gondorian soldiers standing atop the Othram.

At a signal from Boromir and Faramir, the trebuchets placed throughout Minas Tirith released a counter-fire. The trebuchets on the second and third levels engaged in a general bombardment of Mordor's ranks. The first casualties sustained by Mordor's horde in this battle were numbers of orcs flattened under heavy bits of masonry shot by the trebuchets that landed on top of them. The trebuchets along the Othram needed to be more discriminating in their attacks though. Some trebuchets aimed to take out catapults but others fired at the oncoming siege towers being pushed from behind by Mountain Trolls. It was critically important to take out as many siege towers as possible before they got under the shortest trajectory of the Othram's trebuchets. Many Othram defenders let out a loud cheer when a trebuchet shot caused a siege tower to crumble on impact. Their cheer quickly evaporated when a series of loud, chilling screeches were heard coming from above.

The Nazgul made their first unwelcome appearance in the battle. The Nine attacked Minas Tirith from the skies in style reminiscent to Rogers of Stuka dive-bombers. In their initial assault, the Nazgul's fell-beasts ripped up trebuchets positioned across the first three levels of the city. They wanted to weaken the city's defences that could impede Mordor's own siege machinery from breaching it. The Witch-king led by brutal example by swooping down on some of the defenders placed along the second level before his fell-beast wrapped its talons around them. The Witch-king dropped these unfortunate defenders down to the first level to their deaths. The Nazgul also released their piercing screeches that struck fear into the hearts of many defenders. Gandalf and the Captains of Gondor tried to rally the defenders under their command before they fled from this unnatural terror. Captain America sought to provide the defenders of the White City with more tangible relief.

As soon as he heard the Nazgul's screeches from above, Rogers turned to an archer behind him.

"Send up the signal!" Rogers ordered the archer.

The archer dipped an arrow tip into a brazier before shooting it on a vertical trajectory. The flaming arrow was the signal for the air defence to spring into action. The air defence Rogers had designed for Minas Tirith drew on his knowledge of Earth and Middle-earth.

No realm of Middle-earth had anything near the technology to develop air defence systems equivalent to those used in WW2 let alone twenty-first century Earth. But Rogers still remembered Frodo's tale of Aragorn using a burning torch at Weathertop to beat back five of the Nazgul. The reports in Gondor's archives confirmed that natural fire was a suspected weakness of the Nazgul. On this basis, Rogers thought an air defence Minas Tirith could deploy against the Nine was one of the earliest used by Earth militaries.

Smokescreens had long become obsolete for air defence on present-day Earth. But Rogers thought smokescreens could at least provide some deterrent value to the Nazgul and their mounts. Nothing in the intelligence reports suggested the Nazgul possessed infrared and radar systems to guide their aerial attacks.

For the past few days, groups of volunteers had been collecting thatching materials and tying them in large bundles. These bundles were then placed at various locations throughout Minas Tirith. Thatching had the advantage of burning slowly and producing a great deal of smoke as it did so. Each 'air defence unit' was commanded by a retired veteran with a small group of volunteers. The bundles of thatch were lit when those units saw the appropriate signal had been given. One thing in the defender's favour was that there were no prevailing winds to blow the smoke back over them.

The Nazgul soon encountered numerous columns of black smoke columns obscuring the city defences and those manning them. The fell-beasts veered away after their lungs began to fill with the foul black smoke rising from below them. Like their riders, the only fire the fell-beasts found comfortable was the unnatural version produced by Sauron like the eruptions from Mount Doom.

Some Nazgul found what they thought was a way through this defence. There seemed to be gaps between the smoke columns they could direct their fell-beasts through to attack the defenders on the second level. This was exactly what Rogers had planned to happen.

The thatch bundles weren't placed around Minas Tirith at random. Rogers organised them in a pattern that, once lit, would create a series of crude, interlocking killing zones. The Rangers and the bow-armed veterans were divided into smaller companies each responsible for a particular zone. These companies wore thin woollen masks that women volunteers had knitted for them. The masks allowed them to keep shooting without breathing in the thatched smoke like their airborne enemies did. Rather than trying to track and shoot a particular fell-beast through the smoke, each company would instead release a volley of arrows at any fell-beast that came within their zone.

Two fell-beasts let out ugly reptilian cries after being caught in separate crossfires. Only a limited number of arrows actually hit the fell-beasts. But they were painful enough to require their Nazgul rider to veer up to find a new avenue of attack. Rogers would've liked the Rangers to shoot flaming arrows. But any such arrows that went astray ran the risk of setting large sections of the first level ablaze. Flaming arrows would also still have been useless against the Lord of the Nazgul.

The Witch-king used his increased power to surround himself and his fell-beast with a magic shield similar to the one Gandalf summoned on the Bridge of Khazad-dum. Unlike Gandalf's shield, the Witch-king's was red in colour. His shield deflected the arrows a company of archers fired at his mount. The Witch-king only dropped the shield at the last moment so his mount could kill and scatter those archers.

The Witch-king inwardly cursed the ingenuity of those defending White City. Sauron had increased the power of the Witch-king by reducing the power of the other eight Nazgul. Mortal weapons still couldn't harm those eight. But such weapons could still kill their mounts. If a slain fell-beast fell into Minas Tirith, the White Wizard would almost certainly seek to engage its surviving rider. The Witch-king well knew the other Nazgul would be no match for Gandalf given their weakened state.

The Witch-king mentally commanded his fellow Nazgul to fly out just of range of Gondor's archers. He ordered them to just release their fearful cries so the defenders continued to feel a sense of dread and unease. The Witch-king focused his own attacks on destroying the city's trebuchets. Those most responsible for reducing the Nine's overall effectiveness would receive their comeuppance soon enough.

Boromir and Rogers had been witnessing all this from their position along the Othram. They got the grim satisfaction that the Nazgul's overall danger could have been much worse. Then again, the feelings of dread the Nazgul could still inflict on the defenders was dangerous enough.

Boromir stood next to Rogers and remarked to him as both looked skywards "I really do appreciate the irony of your defences Steve. Sauron's most feared servants deterred from attacking the White City by black fumes rising from it!"

"There's hardly anything a bully hates more than a taste of his own medicine." Rogers replied quietly pleased that the simple defences he planned against the Nazgul were making an impact.

Boromir then quipped "On that basis, I look forward to the Nazgul's apothecary skills being professionally assessed by Doctor Banner when he arrives!"

Rogers quickly smiled to what Boromir was really referring to before the shouts of a frantic Gandalf grabbed the pair's attention. The White Wizard had dismounted from Shadowfax and was directing nearby archer fire against Mordor's onslaught.

"_Not at the towers! Aim for the Trolls! Kill the Trolls! Bring them down!"_

The first of Mordor's siege towers had reached the Othram.

* * *

Rogers realised that this was the first time that he'd fought alongside Gandalf in a full-scale battle. Rogers long thought that Gandalf fitted the polymath archetype similar to Banner. This assumption was strengthened when Gandalf demonstrated an impressive knowledge of battlefield tactics.

Gandalf noticed the archers along the Othram firing their arrows at the siege towers in a vain effort to penetrate the towers' iron cladding. His urgent order saw these archers redirect their arrows at each pair of unarmoured trolls pushing a tower forward. At least two siege towers suddenly halted when their trolls slumped dead having had their vitals pierced by the volleys the Othram archers shot at them with deadly precision.

Despite the defenders best efforts, three siege towers had reached the Othram. The three towers were deployed against parts of the Othram south of the Great Gate. The Fellowship members on the Othram had spread out among its defenders. Rogers was with the defenders readying themselves to meet the southernmost approaching tower. Rogers stood in front of two ranks of infantry where each rank had their shields in an interlocking formation. One company of archers had been split in half and was placed at the infantry's opposite flanks. Captain America's shield remained on his back despite him about to do battle with the enemy.

"No one advances unless I give the word!" Rogers ordered the infantry behind him.

Rogers had stationed the infantry companies further away from the edge of the Othram than standard Gondor military doctrine required. These companies obeyed Rogers' order with no overt reluctance given he'd been commissioned an Autherdir by no less than Boromir himself. Any doubts they had about the wisdom of their Captain-General commissioning the Avenger would soon be erased.

Immediately to Rogers right and left were two large cauldrons of burning oil. Rogers had carried a cauldron in each hand as he moved to take his post. Burning oil had been largely prepared to pour on the ranks of Mordor who sought to assault the Great Gate. But some cauldrons had been placed along various parts of the Othram on the off chance the enemy foolishly tried using scaling ladders to reach the top of it. The iron cladding that covered the front and sides of their siege towers was supposed to protect Mordor's forces from arrows and burning oil prior to them assaulting the Othram. This iron cladding couldn't protect them from Captain America's strength and tactical genius though.

The tower's drawbridge sharply dropped down and hordes of orcs began pouring out in their eagerness to get to the enemy. Anticipating this move, Rogers held the right cauldron and flung it towards the oncoming orcs with Super-Soldier strength and precision. The cauldron showered its contents on the exposed orcs causing their advance to immediately halt. These orcs released painful screams as the oil burned their heads and faces while the break in their advance caused congestion among the other orcs that were following them up the tower.

"_Fire!_" Rogers ordered the archers that had had flaming arrows at the ready.

The flaming arrows hit the oil-drenched orcs and drawbridge causing both to ignite in a wall of flames. Rogers increased the orcs' fiery misery when he then tossed the left cauldron on them. The fire quickly began to spread inside the tower causing a stampede of the orcs within it. The orcs began hacking and killing each other during their scramble down the tower to avoid the flames. Any burning orc that stumbled through the drawbridge flames onto the Othram was promptly shot and killed by the archers. The Gondorians around Rogers let out a loud cheer at the way the Avenger had almost single-handedly stopped the assault from this particular tower. Rogers quickly refocussed their attention that more siege towers were on their way.

"Archers stay here in case any orcs get through. I want one infantry company to help the others meeting that oncoming siege tower to the south of us. The other company follow me!"

The three companies spritely obeyed Rogers. The infantry with Rogers followed him north along the Othram to assist the defenders Gandalf was leading. The infantry that was following Rogers soon sustained their first significant casualties.

Gothmog ordered Mordor's catapults to keep up their fire on the Othram defenders even though orcs were now engaging them in close combat. Mordor's commanders had both the numbers and ruthlessness not to care about losses incurred by friendly fire. The catapult stones that hit atop the Othram scattered and killed scores of orcs and Gondorians alike. The infantry that Rogers led had the ill fortune of receiving a hit that killed a quarter of their number. This company nonetheless didn't break stride in following Captain America. These Gondorians may be professional soldiers, but Rogers thought their determination deserved the same admiration as he gave the conscripts at Helm's Deep.

Gandalf and the defenders he was leading were having a much harder time containing the orcs coming out of the siege tower they stood against. The ranks of these particular defenders were quickly thinning due to the orcs numbers and savagery. Rogers hoped orcs, whether Uruk-hai or from Mordor, never stopped using compact formations in the battles he faced them. Rogers released his shield at such a formation on the tower drawbridge he faced side-on. Rogers' shield cut through the orcs ranks from right to left releasing a shower of orc blood and limbs. Rogers' attack gave the infantry that had accompanied him the time reinforce their fellow's depleted ranks.

As soon as his shield returned to him, Rogers tried to spot Gandalf in the chaos. His eyes widened when he saw that Gandalf was close to being surrounded by orcs. Some orcs had managed to break through the ranks of the infantry and the White Wizard singularly stood between them and a set of stairs that accessed the first level. Gandalf cut down orcs using a combination attack of his sword and staff. After events in Fangorn, Rogers had assumed that 'normal' weapons couldn't harm Gandalf. Given the desperation Gandalf displayed in holding back the orcs, now Rogers wasn't so sure. Rogers wanted to throw his shield to help Gandalf but there was no clear flight path. Rogers was unaware that he was soon going to assist Gandalf without having to even raise a hand.

* * *

As the Gondorian losses began to mount atop the Othram, the companies of veterans held in reserve were called up as reinforcements. This included the company that Pippin was stationed with. Pippin's company was comprised of veterans that took a grandfatherly shine towards him. After a herald called their company out to fight, the veterans placed Pippin in the middle of their formation to protect him as they journeyed towards the Othram. This noble gesture by these old soldiers of Gondor was to be the last for many of them.

The Witch-king flew directly above the company and emitted a fear-inducing scream. Like the vast majority of defenders that heard these screams, Pippin and the rest of the company were immobilised by the terror the Lord of the Nazgul had generated in their hearts. The company was paralysed with fear when a pair of catapult stones fell in the immediate proximity.

The stones struck some tall buildings causing a large amount of rubble to tumble down. Pippin was among the minority in the company that overcame their unnatural fear just in time to avoid being crushed by the falling rubble. A large amount of dust flew up from the rubble severely restricting nearby visibility. Before Pippin had time to call out to any survivors more stones began raining down on the company's location. Pippin fled in confusion and panic towards the nearest set of stairs that led to the top of the Othram. When he reached the top, Pippin soon found out that no one defending Minas Tirith was safe in this battle. Not even for the White Wizard on who so much of the defence depended.

Pippin had an unimpeded view of Gandalf's duel with the orcs as it was only taking place a few yards to his right. Gandalf was so caught up in the fighting that he didn't even notice Pippin's presence. Fortunately for the Took, the orcs that Gandalf was fighting hadn't noticed him either. Pippin had never been so frightened in his life. One reason being was that a single orc blade could fall Gandalf at any moment and that he was the only defender in a position to help prevent that from happening.

Pippin had received separate advice about courage from two powerful individuals. Galadriel said that he would find his courage while Rogers defined courage as facing fear not the absence of it. But Pippin felt that one of Hulk's thoughts while attacking Saruman (as recalled to him by Banner) was more appropriate given the circumstances. Pippin unsheathed his sword and decided to 'go for it'.

Rogers thought that Pippin would be one of the least likely individuals to train as an assassin. But Gandalf had described hobbits to him as being light on their feet and being able to go about unnoticed. This made Rogers think the fighting style best suited for Pippin was one based on stealth and opportunity rather than strength and power. In the short time he had been able to train Pippin; Rogers taught him some basic techniques to move quietly as well as how to cause the most damage with a single sword thrust.

Rogers had not been idle after noticing Gandalf was in trouble. He ran a few steps back from the current melee swirling in front of him between the orcs pouring out of the siege tower and the Gondorian infantry standing firm against them. Rogers ran towards the melee before leaping over the heads of its participants. The good news was that he landed on the other side of the melee with a clear path to aid Gandalf. The bad news was that he appeared to have arrived too late to stop Gandalf's skull being split open by an orc from directly behind.

Gandalf may have been the White Wizard but that didn't mean he was infallible. Such was the intensity of his duel with the orcs surrounding him that he lost track of their number. He chopped down an orc in front of him thinking it was the last one he needed to kill. Gandalf gave a startled yelp as he spun around upon hearing a mangled orc cry from behind him. His reflexive fear that he was about to join the growing number of fallen defenders was quickly replaced by amazement. The axe about to kill him clattered harmlessly to the floor out of the hands of the orc that wielded it. A short sword blade protruded out of the orc's abdomen before being withdrawn. As the dead orc toppled over, Gandalf was pleasantly surprised to see his rescuer none other than Peregrin Took! Rogers was now by his side as well. Rogers had witnessed Pippin's actions and took no small sense of satisfaction from having witnessed them.

Gandalf had worried about Boromir and Rogers' decision to place Pippin with the reserves on the first level. The White Wizard thought this battle was no place for any hobbit let alone Pippin. But Gandalf was glad to have been proven wrong in this regard. He now knew how Thorin must have felt when rescued by Bilbo from Azog's warg pack.

"The soul of chess indeed!" Gandalf exclaimed to Pippin with pride and relief.

Now having a much greater sense of battle confidence, Pippin responded "Ah Gandalf, you forget the lowliest pawn can save the highest piece from being taken!"

Gandalf knelt on one knee and gave Pippin's left shoulder a firm and friendly grasp while speaking in a serious tone.

"For now Peregrin Took I have another task for the Shire folk to again prove their great worth. Go back to the Citadel and keep an eye out for Denethor. Should he do anything that strikes you as suspicious, immediately tell Boromir, Faramir, Steve or I. Now go my lad!"

The Took instantly headed off to the Citadel with a spring in his step. Moments earlier, Pippin had run up the stairs to the top of the Othram in panic and fear. He now ran back down the stairs with pride and self-belief. Pippin still thought a battlefield wasn't his natural place. But he could at least help his friends if he ever found himself on one. Pippins hoped he'd be able to properly thank Rogers someday for teaching him how.

As Gandalf stood back up, Rogers put a reassuring hand on his right shoulder.

"You're alright Gandalf?" Rogers asked him noticing the White Wizard's normally spotless robe had black flecks of orc blood staining it. After Gandalf gave a confirmatory nod Rogers then said "Pippin sped off before I could thank him for helping out."

"Then allow me to thank you Steve for helping out Pippin." Gandalf replied with a grateful smile. "That help reminded me that a hobbit can show the greatest of courage in the fiercest of battles!"

"I'll have to ask you later what you exactly mean Gandalf." Rogers ruefully remarked as he pointed his chin in the direction of the melee he had leapt over. "You think you can hold here before I see how Boromir's doing?"

"Be assured I can Captain America." Gandalf resolutely replied before mischievously observing "I'm already pensive how Pippin's going embellish the story of how he rescued me. I dread the embellishment if he had to save me twice!"

Rogers ran north along the Othram to find Gandalf wasn't the only Fellowship member in this battle in danger of being surrounded. Boromir and six infantrymen stood very isolated as they faced another siege tower that would soon reach the Othram. Rogers noted the siege tower the seven faced was coming very close to the remains of a trebuchet placement just to its left.

Boromir thought this stage of the battle similar to the stage at Helm's Deep when the Uruk-hai assaulted the Deeping Wall. Unfortunately Thor wasn't present at Minas Tirith to shatter the siege towers with Mjolnir like he did with the scaling ladders at Helm's Deep. Boromir would soon see the Asgardian wasn't the only Avenger that could shatter siege equipment.

As the siege tower moved close into position Boromir gave a firm reminder to the small number of infantry with him.

"We are Soldiers of Gondor! No matter what comes out of that tower we will stand our ground!"

The tower never got to release the orcs ready to storm out from it. Boromir jolted in surprise when a large chunk of masonry struck the left side of the tower. The tower's iron platting cracked from the impact. The top third of the tower then crumbled and fell to the ground along with any orcs inside it. The tower may have stopped a few yards from the Othram but no orcs would be able to scale it.

Boromir quickly looked to his right and saw what had released the boulder standing a few yards from him. Boromir's initial reaction was that it was wrong to have held the tinniest doubt about the weight that Rogers claimed to be able to lift. The American and the seven Gondorians moved north together to reinforce the nearest group defenders. Boromir and Rogers quietly spoke on the way.

"Nice throw." Boromir casually compliment Rogers on his rescue.

"That throw rated better than 'nice'!" Rogers feigned with indignation.

"You're not the first Avenger I've seen throw a boulder Steve!" Boromir recalled events in Moria with a smirk.

"You've mentioned the Other Guy once already." Rogers laconically observed. "Obviously I'm no longer your favourite Avenger!"

The two friends shared a laugh before reaching their objective. One of the defenders they were aiding was a veteran with an interest in lore and verse. If he survived this battle, the veteran thought he'd write a poem about the two Captains with round shields that together tore apart hordes of orcs.

* * *

Night had fallen on the battlefield but Minas Tirith received little reprieve from the assault against it. The situation for the defenders was the equal of the fume-enhanced darkness they fought in.

The thatch fires that hadn't been snuffed out by catapult stones would soon run out of fuel to burn. Once this happened, the other Nazgul would then be able to attack the remaining defenders with more than their terrifying cries. The defenders would struggle to see the Nine swooping down from a sky as black in colour as their cloaks.

The Othram was still held by the defenders placed upon it. All of Mordor's siege towers were now crippled or burning. Captain America was a major reason why. He stopped many towers in similar fashion to the first two towers he'd neutralised. The Avenger's actions significantly reduced the number of orcs the outnumbered Othram defenders would have faced otherwise.

But the situation on the Othram had come at a very heavy price. Less than half of its original defenders were still alive. Irolas was among those killed. This resulted in Boromir having to take over Irolas' command of the Othram defenders north of the Great Gate. There were no other experienced Captains left to take the role. The attackers had suffered casualties several fold greater than the defenders. But Mordor's army still seemed to be as large as when the battle started. Most of the Othram's defenders felt close to exhaustion when they started being subjected to clouds of arrows released at them by countless Orc and Haradrim archers.

The attackers had destroyed all the trebuchets placed within Minas Tirith. Mordor's catapults continued to release their stones albeit at a slower rate than earlier. Many volunteers on the first level met their deaths by these stones. Either being directly squashed by one or from the falling debris of buildings the stones hit.

But a couple of enemy actions puzzled the defenders. Even the combined tactical genius of Boromir, Gandalf and Rogers hadn't yet guessed their purpose.

Minas Tirith's commanders assumed the Great Gate would be the enemy's principal line of attack. But the Gate had only suffered unsophisticated assaults by battering ram. The Gate defenders led by Hirgon had little trouble against these assaults. The large number of orc corpses piled on the Gateway was testament to their deaths from the defenders' arrows or burning oil. Even if the orcs could carry out their attacks unmolested, the battering rams they were using stood no chance of breaching the Gate. The situation had resulted in more than half the Gate's original defenders being redeployed to shore up other positions during the course of the battle.

A bigger mystery was the activities of the Witch-king. Since the destruction of the trebuchets, the Witch-king had limited his direct involvement in the battle. He either occasionally scattered defenders with his fell-beast or joined his fellow Ringwraiths in causing fear and dread in the hearts of the defenders from a distance. Gandalf's actions in this battle made Rogers draw a conclusion similar to one he'd earlier made about Galadriel. The White Wizard must be prohibited somehow from exercising his vast power without restraint. The Avenger doubted Sauron would ever place similar restraints on the Witch-king.

The Lord of the Nazgul himself now answered both these mysteries. His answers verified Rogers' earlier assessment of the Witch-king's military competence.

All the defenders wondered why the catapults had halted their bombardment. Was it too much for them to hope that the catapults had no more stones to launch? It was true the enemy's supply of catapult stones had been much depleted. But the catapults weren't short of ammunition. The pause in the bombardment was so Mordor's catapults could be loaded with shot covered in tar and pitch that was lit before being launched. The defenders of Minas Tirith soon found themselves caught in a rain of fiery death.

The burning catapult shots ignited any man or building they struck. After the thatch fires began extinguishing, the eight Nazgul that had been affected by them took the opportunity to extract their revenge. They swooped in on their fell-beast and killed scores of volunteers that comprised the air defence units. The burning shot bombardment combined with facing the Nazgul's fury was too much for these volunteers stationed on the first level. They immediately broke and ran back in uncontrolled panic towards the upper levels in the hope of finding some sort of reprieve. Despite Boromir's words at the start of this battle, the volunteers now felt victory for Gondor was impossible given the merciless onslaught the White City was now being subject to.

The Witch-king felt a sense of dark satisfaction at the effects of the burning shot and his fellow Nazgul. Minas Tirith had used a lot of fire-based defences during the day. If the Gondorians thought fire would hold back Mordor's assault, the Witch-king was more than happy to supply them with vast amounts of it. But these attacks were only the first step in his plan to finally breach the White City. The next step required more personal attention on his part.

Hirgon and the other defenders remaining above the Great Gate were puzzled why the Orc archers that had been firing at them suddenly withdrew from range. In fact all Mordor forces near the Gate began voluntarily splitting their ranks creating a wide gap between them. Their thoughts were interrupted by a loud Nazgul screech. Hirgon and his men were literally frozen in terror as the Witch-king perched his fell-best on the southern tower of the Great Gate. The Witch-king pointed his sword at the defenders and gave a cruel demonstration of his increased power. Hirgon and the other defenders suddenly fell on their backs as if a giant pair of hands had pushed them down. This unforseen force continued to push down on their chests causing their breastplates to crumple before crushing their ribs and internal organs. The Witch-king lowered his sword after the pained screams of the Gate defenders ceased indicating their deaths. The Witch-king's fell-beast then soared back into the air at its rider's command.

Rogers had seen the Witch-king in action from his spot on the Othram south of the Great Gate. Rogers didn't have the line of sight to see what had happened to Hirgon and his men. Even if he did, the low visibility meant he was too far away to accurately judge. He was about to set off for the Gate when suddenly he heard the Hosts of Mordor shouting with ever-louder exultation.

_What the heck is 'Grond'?_ Rogers thought once he discerned the word the attackers were shouting. Rogers braved the incoming catapult and archer fire and looked over the Othram to find out.

"Gimme a break..." Rogers muttered in exasperation when he saw the answer to his question.

Grond was a most fearsome siege machine. It was a battering ram some sixty feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet long. Grond was in the form of a cast iron wolf whose mouth glowed with an infernal light. It was suspended from six tall posts by heavy iron chains, above a great iron frame fixed on six spiked iron wheels. The posts and wheels were equally divided on the frame's right and left sides. Grond also had a railed platform manned by several companies of orc archers. Grond was hauled by four giant beasts of burden that to Rogers resembled a cross between a rhinoceros and a yak.

Grond had been constructed in Mordor's foundries over decades for this very moment. Grond had been named after the mace used by Morgoth, the most powerful Dark Lord Middle-earth had ever known. Sauron had been Morgoth's lieutenant. Sauron knew his Grond was nowhere near as powerful as the Grond wielded by his former master. But his Grond was more than powerful enough to shatter the Great Gate.

Rogers quickly moved a few yards to his left to speak to Gandalf who was witnessing Grond's progress. Gandalf noticed Rogers by his side and returned his gaze to Grond.

"All our valiant efforts along the Othram have been of little consequence to the Enemy." Gandalf observed in a hushed tone. "Their assaults upon us have only been a diversion to draw our attention away from where the Dark Lord's hammer shall strike Minas Tirith the hardest."

Rogers now realised one reason for the siege tower assaults was to trick the defenders into reducing their numbers above the Great Gate. The assaults by battering ram were just to tire what Gate defenders remained by the time Grond arrived. Rogers had little doubt now that the Witch-king's attack a few moments ago had killed all the Gate's defenders.

"We've destroyed their siege towers." Rogers started. "We should now move whoever's left to behind the Gate and on top of it."

"Unfortunately Steve any reinforcements sent above the Gate will meet the same fate as the ones the Witch-king has just slain." Gandalf advised.

"Even if you accompanied them?"

Gandalf replied by turning his gaze to Rogers and arching a worried eyebrow. Gandalf's expression slightly unnerved Rogers. The Avenger thought for a moment.

"I'll position myself there then." Rogers plainly stated.

Gandalf's eyes widened in response Rogers' declaration. His right hand snapped out and firmly grabbed the Avenger's left wrist.

"You would be rashly throwing your life away if you sought to combat the Witch-king alone!" Gandalf warned Rogers with barely concealed alarm. Rogers exemplified the best qualities of Men in many ways. But he was still very much a member of that race as well as a man in gender. Gandalf believed that even Captain America wasn't immune to the prophecy about the Witch-king's end.

"Relax Gandalf." Rogers assured him having guessed what caused Gandalf to warn him. "I don't intent to fight the Witch-king. I'm just going to buy us some time."

A few moments later Gandalf was atop Shadowfax redirecting the defenders around him to fall back behind the Gate. When Gandalf was back on ground level he began riding towards the defenders north of the Gate. But these defenders had already withdrawn and began forming up in the courtyard behind the Gate. Gandalf rode up to Boromir when he spotted him.

"You've seen then Boromir?" Gandalf asked him in reference to the Witch-king's attack and Grond. Boromir nodded before replying.

"I've ordered a general withdrawal along the Othram. There's little point trying to hold the walls now. We'll meet their attack once the Gate is breached. It's too dangerous to position any one above the Gate to try and stop that infernal machine from reaching it!" Boromir then noticed something and asked Gandalf "Where's Steve?"

Boromir followed Gandalf's gaze to the top of the Gate before looking at each other again. Gandalf wondered if he looked as alarmed as Boromir currently did when Rogers advised of his plans a short while ago.

"I share some of your concern Boromir." Gandalf told him with a half-smile. "But I trust Steve knows what he's doing. In fact he asked us to do something while he carries it out…"

* * *

Grond's major strength was also its major weakness. Its size and weight meant it had a very slow rate of movement. Grond wasn't initially present among Mordor's ranks when the battle started. The Witch-king and his lieutenants had estimated that it would be well into the night before Grond could be used. Mordor's attacks on Minas Tirith's trebuchets and the Othram during the day were really to ensure the Gondorians had no means of stopping Grond reaching the Great Gate. But the Supreme Commander of Mordor's forces knew two threats to Grond still remained.

Looking down from the sky above, the Witch-king observed the defenders retreating from the Othram. The White Wizard was organising what defenders remained to take position towards of the back of the Great Gate's courtyard. The Witch-king scoffed at this. Even if the defenders had suffered no casualties, they stood no chance of holding back the onslaught about to be unleashed upon them. Confident the White Wizard was not in a position to stop Grond, the Witch-king looked for its other threat.

The Witch-king could see no signs of the Avenger aiding the defence. The Lord of the Nazgul was well aware of the role Rogers had played in destroying Mordor's siege towers. But the methods Rogers used would be useless against Grond. The real threat the Avenger posed was with his shield. The Avenger had thrown this shield over a long distance to strike two airborne fell-beasts just a few days ago. The battle had demonstrated this shield could cut through forged metal with little difficulty. The Witch-king was concerned the Avenger would use his shield to cut through the chains that supported Grond's 'wolf'. The Avenger didn't even need to stand at the top of the Gate to do this given how far he could throw it.

For the first time since the battle started, the Witch-king guided his mount to the ground. He landed in the gap that the orcs had made to allow Grond to pass through their ranks. The Witch-king and his fell-beast would be several dozen yards to the rear of Grond by the time it reached the Great Gate. The Witch-king pointed his sword towards Grond and a moment later each chain was surrounded by a narrow cylinder of red light. This spell was a version of the magic shield the Witch-king had been using to protect himself and his fell-beast throughout the battle. The draw back with this version of the spell though was that the Witch-king had to remain stationary and concentrate for the shields to remain. The Witch-king calculated that he wouldn't need to be in this position for too much longer.

The giant beasts had been pulling Grond were decoupled and lead away. A group of Mountain Trolls took over pushing Grond over the remaining yards to the Great Gate. Mordor's initial assault force began filing past the Witch-king in readiness to storm the breach that would soon be made. This initial assault force was comprised of three Attack Trolls and several hundred elite Easterling warriors.

Rogers had been hiding within the upper level of the south tower of the Great Gate. He had brought with him the only two cauldrons of boiling oil the defenders hadn't yet used. Seeing no sign of the Witch-king, Rogers dashed out on the rampart where the bodies of Hirgon and his men lay. Rogers dropped the two cauldrons over the side of the rampart in quick succession. The cauldron's contents spilled onto the ground forming a large oily slick just in front of Great Gate's doors. The Witch-king spotted Rogers but paid his actions no heed. He assumed the Avenger was running back into the tower after realising the futility of his position as well as the arrows Grond's archers were shooting at him.

Rogers opened the iron box containing the napalm. The napalm cases were still in their hessian sack. Rogers strapped the sack around his shoulder after taking two cases from it. His shield and pocket knife weren't the only items that had accompanied him to Middle-earth. Rogers opened one of his belt pouches and withdrew a small fire-starter.

During the Fellowship's break in Edoras, Rogers and Banner carefully experimented with droplets of the napalm. These experiments were conducted well outside of Edoras' wooden confines. The pair were able to get a workable idea of the duration Saruman's napalm took to ignite.

Rogers unstoppered the holes in each case before hearing the loud thud of Grond's first strike against the Gate. He lit the napalm and quickly picked up a case with each hand. Rogers looked out of the door at the defenders' corpses along the rampart before him. Grond made its second strike against the Gate_. _Rogers gave a silent farewell to the dead defenders before he sprang into action.

_Hope you and your men enjoy the show Hirgon!_

The Witch-king was so far pleased with Grond's progress. Grond had punched a large hole in the doors of the Great Gate after striking them twice. Another strike would break them open and the extermination of Minas Tirith's defenders and residents would then begin. The trolls operating Grond began pulling back its wolf to hit the doors with it once more. The Witch-king then noticed that the Avenger had returned to the ramparts. The Avenger was now too late to stop Grond.

Rogers threw down the napalm cases simultaneously before leaping backwards off the Great Gate with his shield covering his body. The napalm ignited just as Grond struck the Gate for the last time.

A loud detonation cracked the night sky.

Rogers' vibranium shield protected him from the flames and flying debris between him being airborne and landing in the courtyard. The Hosts of Mordor in the vicinity were not so lucky.

Grond's orcs and trolls were almost instantly incinerated when the napalm ignited. Grond itself was awash in the napalm's intense flames. Its iron structure radiated an unbearable heat several yards in each direction. Mordor's initial assault force would have fled from Grond for this reason if they hadn't already due to being covered in burning napalm. The three Attack Trolls and hundreds of Easterlings and Orcs fled in fiery panic and agony from the attack they'd just been subjected to. The hides of the giant beasts that had pulled Grond were also spotted with such fire. The nearby Mordor ranks were thrown into chaos as those ablaze charged with reckless abandon into those that weren't.

The Witch-king's concentration was immediately broken when the napalm detonated. It was only his supernatural reflexes that allowed him to order his fell-beast to instantly take off before being trampled by one of Grond's stampeding beasts.

The Witch-king's burning anger was intense as the napalm's flames. Grond had breached the Gate but a wall of flame now covered the opening. Mordor's assault plans had been thrown into disarray by the actions of one man! The Lord of the Nazgul resisted the urge to immediately smite the Avenger for his impudent attack. What Sauron had planned would make the Avenger suffer more than enough. Order needed to be restored among the Hosts of Mordor first. The Witch-king summoned the other Nazgul to join him to end the rampage of Grond's beasts by destroying them. Sauron's other minions dispatched any burning orc, man or troll not yet dead to prevent further havoc in the ranks.

Rogers landed in the courtyard on his feet. Fortunately, Gandalf and Boromir had followed his advice by not positioning the defenders in the courtyard. The defenders were placed well back to protect them from the detonation and its effects. The indestructible stone that the Othram was built of remained undamaged. But the doors of the Great Gate had fallen due to a combination of Grond and napalm explosion. At least the wall of flame in front of the Gate would delay the attackers for a while.

Rogers ran to where the other surviving Othram defenders were positioned. Boromir and a still mounted Gandalf stood at the front of them waiting for Rogers.

"Well," Rogers started businesslike "I couldn't stop them breaching the Gate. But I've at least bought us twenty minutes, half an hour if we're lucky." Rogers continued to speak in this tone as he recognised Minas Tirith's chain of command by asking, "What're your orders Boromir?"

"We have enemy flames to contend with ourselves." Boromir started. Mordor's catapults had continued to release their burning shots on the first level despite recent events. Half the first level was currently ablaze. "Even though it means abandoning the first level to the enemy we must get out of range of their catapults. We'll fall back to our position behind the gate to the second level."

"Unfortunately Boromir your brother sends word that the catapults scored a direct hit on that gate." Gandalf advised. "It's now a pile of rubble. The rubble won't block passage to the second level but nor can it be used as a defensive position."

Rogers paused for a moment before pointing at the ship-keel rock that divided Minas Tirith.

"It's not ideal, but we can take post on the second level just north of the tunnel that goes through the rock." Rogers suggested.

Boromir consented to Roger's idea with nod before jutting his chin towards the sack Rogers was carrying.

"Do you have any napalm left?" he asked the Avenger.

Rogers patted the sack as he replied with a dark gleam in his eye "The fireworks ain't over for Mordor yet…"

"When it comes to fireworks learn from my mistake Steve." Gandalf counselled half-seriously, half-jokingly. "Make sure Pippin has no opportunity to touch your fireworks before you wish to set them off!"

After sharing a tired chuckle with Rogers and Boromir, Gandalf began urging the defenders to fall back to the second level.

* * *

The flames released by the napalm near the Great Gate died down slightly less than half an hour later. Grond was burnt and melted in parts but it still remained standing. Importantly, the heat it radiated was no longer hot enough to deter the attackers from storming into Minas Tirith.

The Witch-king had been unperturbed by losses from friendly fire incurred during the assault on the Othram. But the assault on the Great Gate was Mordor's principal line of attack. The attackers may still have an overwhelming numerical advantage but discipline was essential to maximise this advantage. Rogers' action at the Great Gate demonstrated the attacker's discipline could quickly breakdown in the face of incendiary attack. On that basis, Mordor's catapults were ordered to cease their fiery bombardment of the first level.

Following original plans, three Attack Trolls furiously burst through the remains of the Great Gate's doors and into the courtyard it led to. The trolls would break and scatter defender lines. Thousands of orcs would then quickly pour into any gaps the trolls had created and begin savagely killing their disorganised enemies.

The trolls were surprised to see only one defender waiting to meet them. A man in blue livery faced them ten yards directly to their front.

The man gave the trolls a welcoming smile before saying, "Catch!"

Rogers flung his shield that arced right to left across the trolls. His shield easily cut through the iron-plated armour that protected the trolls' necks. The three trolls collapsed forwards in death as Rogers' shield returned to his hand. Black blood spilled from the trolls' throats onto the courtyard as the orcs following behind them began entering the courtyard. The only thing the orcs feared more than facing the Avenger was facing the Witch-king if they retreated from Minas Tirith a second time. Rogers began running along the main road that connected the levels of Minas Tirith with thousands of orcs in pursuit.

The defenders may have conceded the first level to the Hosts of Mordor. But Rogers volunteered to use the napalm to further delay the attackers and reduce their numbers once they entered it. While the other defenders had been retreating to the second level, Rogers dampened the hessian sack he was carrying. Rogers had no problems outrunning the orcs. He was more worried about the sack accidentally catching alight from the countless fires on the first level. Rogers would soon encounter a greater danger.

Rogers ran at a speed that kept him two dozen yards in front of the orcs. He reached into the sack and pulled out another napalm case while passing through the remains of the gate to the second level. Rogers lit the napalm intending to create another wall of flame once it ignited. This 'wall' would block the orcs from the southern end of the tunnel that went through the ship-keel rock on the second level.

In the sky above the Witch-king had been following the orcs' pursuit of Rogers. Once the Avenger emerged from the fire and smoke from the first level, the Witch-king would strike. He saw the situation like hounds driving prey to the hunter. The Witch-king had learned from recent events. The Avenger reaching into the sack he was carrying meant only one thing. The Witch-king silently dived towards Rogers so as not to alert the Avenger to his imminent demise.

The Witch-king's attack took Rogers by surprise. Captain America dived in the nick of time to avoid being snatched away in the talons of the Witch-king's fell-beast. Rogers hit the ground so hard that the napalm case he was carrying slipped out of his hand and began rolling back the way he came. The Witch-king soared back into the air in preparation to dive again at the Avenger. The case spilled some of its contents before it disappeared into the rubble of the second level's gate.

Rogers knew he would have to fight off the orcs as well as the Witch-king if he went to retrieve the case. The napalm contained in the case had also been lit. Retrieval of the case was definitely not an option for a number of reasons. Rogers flat out sprinted along the main road towards the third level. Rogers entered the tunnel running through the ship-keel rock just as he escaped Witch-king's clutches for a second time. The tunnel was some thirty yards long and four yards wide. If an Attack Troll entered the tunnel, its head would be inches below its ceiling.

The napalm case exploded and again countless orcs began burning in agony. But orcs of greater number than the defenders had long passed the case by the time it detonated. They continued their determined pursuit of Rogers. They did this if only to avoid being consumed from the flames that had temporarily cut them off from almost all other attackers.

The main road was flanked for a short distance by stone buildings two to three stories high as it exited north through the tunnel. It was here that the retreating defenders had positioned themselves to meet Mordor's oncoming assault. Many of them still hadn't gotten use to the sound of napalm exploding and shuddered when they heard the sound a second time.

Gandalf wasn't among these defenders. The column of wounded that were hobbling towards the Houses of Healing were attacked by three Nazgul a short time ago. Gandalf drove off the Nazgul with a beam of light from his staff repeating his rescue of the retreating column from Osgiliath. In a noble gesture, Boromir told Gandalf to escort the column the rest of their journey's distance. The hale defenders would have to do as best as they could against the Nine without Gandalf's protection.

Infantry were on the road drawn up in a tight column facing the tunnel. Missile troops were positioned within the upper stories the buildings that flanked the infantry to provide fire support from above. Their position also meant they could fire without having to worry above being snatched from above by a fell-beast. Faramir and the surviving Rangers were placed among the missile troops.

The Rangers had been at the forefront of the second level's defence during the course of the battle. They and their Captain often had to rally other defenders from the Nazgul's fear inducing effects. Their arrows had also been the most problematic to the fell-beasts that ventured into a killing zone. But the Ranger's efforts had also drawn the Witch-king's attention. After destroying Minas Tirith's trebuchets, the Witch-king then decimated the Ranger's ranks after their arrows failed to penetrate his sorcerous shield.

During the course of the battle, Faramir only caught glimpses of Rogers in action due to the smoke rising from the first level. But the times he saw Rogers showed the Avenger's actions in rescuing him and the other survivors of Osgiliath was no fluke. Faramir recalled the tales of the great mannish heroes of the First Age. He wondered if even Beren fought and moved as strongly and quickly as Captain America did. These thoughts were interrupted by the said Avenger's sudden appearance.

"_Prepare to engage!_" Rogers near screamed to the defenders as he exited the tunnel. He veered to his left before leaping and climbing to the top of a two-storey building occupied by archers. Every defender with a bow prepared to release an arrow.

"Avenge our beheaded brothers!" Faramir commanded the Rangers around him.

An onslaught of orcs rushed exited the tunnel and its front ranks were mown down in a hail of arrows as well as Rogers' flying shield. The infantry then moved to utilise their spatial advantage and began to push the orcs back down the tunnel. From his position, Rogers thought the current melee situation to be like an ugly push and shove contest.

The second napalm explosion was of no hindrance to the airborne Nazgul. The attack against the column of wounded was part of the Witch-king's plan to separate Gandalf from the other defenders. This wasn't just to secure a tactical advantage. The White Wizard would be broken in spirit as well as in body. The Witch-king planned to kill Gandalf after making him witness the destruction of the White Tree and slaughter of every other living creature in Minas Tirith. Gandalf would go to his death knowing that all his efforts against Sauron were for nought and that Middle-earth would be forever covered in darkness.

The archers weren't the only ones that had protection from the fell-beasts. The infantry's position was too narrow for the fell-beasts to directly reach. The Witch-king had led the other Nazgul back to where the Hosts of Mordor were positioned outside the city. The attackers had used a great amount of catapult stones during the battle. But there were still more than enough for what the Witch-king planned. The Nine commanded their fell-beasts to scoop catapult stones with their talons from where the stones were stockpiled. They then flew back towards the second level.

Four Nazgul released their payloads down where the defenders were located. The defenders were holding against the orcs but they had no means of protection from aerial bombardment. Infantry were crushed directly from above or from the debris of buildings struck by the falling catapult stones. Many missile troops were buried under the collapsed roofs of the buildings where they had been hidden. Rogers raised his shield above his head when he saw a stone dropping directly down on him.

The Witch-king led the other Nazgul in dropping their stones at various points on the main road north of the defenders. The stones they dropped and the building debris they caused cluttered the defenders' only line of retreat to the third level. The Witch-king ordered his fellow Nazgul to again follow him to reload for another bombardment run.

The Nazgul's bombardment as well as their fear inducing screams caused the defenders as a group to rout towards the third level. Because of the catapult stones and debris on the road before them, many defenders panicked. They headed down side streets and back alleys to avoid being caught in the wave of oncoming orcs. There was no means of escape for these defenders from the orcs that chased them. The situation reminded Faramir of the retreat from Osgiliath. Unlike then, there was no place for the defenders of Minas Tirith to fall back to should the city fall.

Boromir was frantically rallying his men by blowing the Horn of Gondor. The Horn's call was for the defenders to follow their Captain-General to the third level. Boromir also hoped Gandalf heard the call. They needed the White Wizard back quickly as possible. Especially because the napalm barrier created some minutes ago would soon burn out. Once that happened, the attackers held by the barrier would then join the assault on the second level and the defenders would be numerically swamped.

Rogers was in a crouching position still holding his shield above his head. The shield had deflected the rubble that fell on him. Rogers waited until the Lord of the Nazgul had vacated the scene before making his move. Rogers lit the final napalm case but it needed to explode at just the right moment for it to properly impede Mordor's assault.

Rogers began sprinting and leaping across rooftops holding his shield in his right hand and the napalm case in his left. He moved while keeping an eye on events along the main road down to his right. Rogers soon leapt down onto the road landing in the gap between the fleeing defenders and their pursuers. In the blink of an eye he threw his shield and cut down the first few ranks of the orcs running up the main road. The orcs immediately following these ones halted when Rogers demonstrated to them what he was holding in his left hand.

These orcs remembered what happened the two previous times the man in the blue uniform released small metal spheres. They had come to believe that the man was a magician of sorts who could unleash deadly firestorms upon them. As a result, these orcs fled south back down the road soon colliding with their oncoming brethren. The orcs began to shove and hack in each other in mass confusion.

Rogers had no intention of throwing the napalm at the orcs closest to the fleeing defenders. If he did, the detonation from the blast would see attackers and defenders (including him) sprayed with burning napalm. Rogers instead threw the napalm case south as he would a grenade.

The napalm exploded close to the tunnel. The van of the orcs that had been retarded by the last napalm attack had just entered the tunnel from the south. They met fiery death and chaos when a large jet of flame squirted through the tunnel. Many orcs north of the tunnel met a similar fate.

The orcs that had initially fled from Rogers had to forcibly stop once more. The attack they thought they were running away from was now blocking their passage south! They looked back up the road and saw Rogers reaching into his hessian sack again. The orcs rushed in panic down various side streets and back alleys to avoid being trapped by napalm fire both front and behind.

Satisfied the orcs had fallen for his bluff of possessing another napalm case; Rogers then discarded the sack and ran to the third level's gate. Like it did from the first level to the second level, the main road steeped sharply as it got close to the third level from the second.

Boromir was just outside the third level's gate hurrying fleeing defenders through it. Rogers rushed up to Boromir.

"Where's Faramir?" a deeply concerned Boromir asked the Avenger.

"What do you mean where's Faramir?" a puzzled Rogers responded.

One of the retreating defenders approached Boromir and his desperate report answered this mystery.

"Milord, Captain Faramir was among a group of men cut off during our retreat. They're trapped on the promenade that looks down on the first level!"

"What's that?" Rogers questioned the defender.

"It's enclosed by walls north and south and its front is a one hundred foot drop!" Boromir quickly explained before declaring "I'm going to get him!"

Boromir was stunned when Rogers grabbed him by the arm to restrain him from doing this.

"Not an option Boromir." Rogers advised using one of Fury's favourite phrases.

"_He's my brother Steve!_" Boromir angrily snapped.

An understanding Rogers kept his cool as he pointed out to Boromir "You're also in charge of the city's defence. I'll get Faramir while you reorganise the defenders here."

Before Boromir could remonstrate further, a loud series of cheers erupted from behind. Boromir and Rogers turned to see about one hundred Citadel Guards approaching them. Boromir had ordered the Citadel Guard to remain on the seventh level least it suffer an insertion attack by the Nazgul. Unlike the Guards protecting the White Tree, these guards weren't wearing a black cloak or silken mask. The most surprising thing about these Guards was they were following in the footsteps of Denethor, Beregond and Pippin! Denethor was wearing a fine coat of steel mail that covered his chest and thighs.

Denethor commandingly strode up to a confused Boromir who asked him "Father, what are you doing here?"

"I asked Master Peregrin to inform me on all that has transpired." Denethor explained with Pippin beaming proudly beside him. "After he done so, Captain Beregond and I brought half the Citadel Guard to reinforce the defence!"

"Are you sure you are well Father?" Boromir asked out of concern about the state of Denethor's mind.

"Well enough to be of service here!" Denethor tersely replied. He then quietly complimenting his eldest son "Your leadership in this battle ranks among the greatest shown by any of the Stewards. Continue to demonstrate it by giving me and my men something to do!"

Boromir happily took these words as a sign his father was speaking to him one man to another. On this basis, Boromir felt couldn't he deny what Denethor was asking for even though it could be considered illegal.

"Steve was about to rescue some men trapped on the promenade overlooking the first level." Boromir advised jutting his chin in the Avenger's direction. "Faramir is among them."

Both Boromir and Rogers noticed Denethor slightly flinch at this news before he turned to speak to Beregond.

"Captain Beregond, you and half the Guards will remain here to secure the gate." Denethor resolutely ordered before drawing his sword. "The other half shall accompany Captain Rogers and me as a rescue sortie."

"Stay and help Boromir!" Rogers quickly told Pippin before joining Denethor in leading the fifty Guards back down the main road.

The orcs that had been momentarily delayed by Rogers' previous attack and bluff had begun moving back up the main road. After a new explosion never eventuated, they angrily realised the man had played them for fools. They took out their anger by killing any defender they came across that had been cut off from the main road. As they surged towards the third level, they noticed the blue uniformed man among a group of defenders heading straight for them along the road. The orcs were keen to sink their blades and teeth into the man who had been the end of so many of them.

The catapult stones and building rubble that littered the main road from the Nazgul's bombardment provided Rogers with a veritable arsenal to use. Rogers quickly lifted a catapult stone and threw it towards the oncoming orcs. The stone struck the front row of orcs like if it was launched from a siege engine. The stone continued knocking down orcs like skittles. The orcs that had dodged this stone rapidly found a similar one heading towards them. More stones like this began hitting the orcs at a steady rate.

Captain America turned the tide of battle along the main road once more. The orcs routed in fear of the man who seemed to have unlimited instruments of death to throw at them!

Rogers, Denethor and the Citadel Guards dispatched any orcs caught in their path. The Guards displayed merciless efficiency as they dispatched orcs with a quick stab of their ashen spears. While pushing the attack back, Rogers observed the way Denethor fought. Boromir once told Rogers that the young Denethor was a warrior of no small skill. Rogers wondered how good young Denethor was given age didn't seem to inhibit the Steward in combat now.

The sortie approached the midpoint of the road between the tunnel and the gate to the third level. It was a T-junction with a side street running east. Before the sortie was a chunk of masonry just north of the junction. The chunk blocked the right half of the road and weighed about a ton as well as being Hulk's height.

The retreating orcs ran south of the junction. Once they did, the orcs again sought refuge down side streets given napalm fires still blocked their passage through the tunnel. Orc officers began efforts at rallying their subordinates with a combination of threats and mockery.

Denethor ordered the rescue sortie to halt before pointing down the junction's side street with his orc-blood stained sword.

"That street leads to the promenade." Denethor advised Rogers.

Rogers bent his knees and placed his hands under the chunk of masonry. The Avenger carried the chunk before placing it just south of the junction. The chunk still blocked the right half of the road. A number of Citadel Guards exchanged disbelieving looks as Rogers did this with only a slightly strained look on his face. Their only thing the Guards disbelieved more was the sortie had reached the junction suffering only a handful of casualties.

"Is there any other way the orcs can get passed us?" Rogers asked Denethor.

Denethor simply shook his head in response.

"I need ten men to help me hold position here." Rogers requested of the Steward. "Take the rest and save your son."

Denethor waved his sword forwards and the relevant sortie members began following the street's direction. The Steward had a private conversation with the Avenger before heading down the street himself.

"I apologise for my earlier discourtesy towards you." Denethor said to the Avenger in reference to when their paths first crossed. "Boromir was right to have spoken so highly of Captain America!"

"Thanks sir." Rogers replied. "And after seeing you in action, I won't be insulted next time someone calls me 'spry for an old fellow'!"

Denethor and Rogers went their separate ways at the latter's words. Rogers stood between two Guards to block the left half of the road as rallied orcs began charging towards them. Denethor led the other Guards heading towards the promenade. Both men had separate thoughts before engaging the enemy.

Rogers mused that a group of Spartan warriors would be handy to have right now to hold the narrow pass to the third level. Denethor was puzzled as to how anyone could call Rogers an 'old fellow'.

* * *

Faramir and a few other defenders were literally fighting with their backs to the wall. They were engaged in desperate hand to hand fighting with a multitude of orcs. The high wall that marked the north boundary of the promenade stood a few yards directly behind the defenders. The drop off to the first level was an even shorter distance to the defenders' left. There was nowhere they could escape to.

Faramir and the Rangers that survived the Nazgul bombardment joined the defenders' mad scramble to the third level. But they and other defenders were corralled down the junction's side street by orcs to their front and rear. The orcs had pushed them inch by inch towards the promenade. A trail of dead from both sides lined the street in the conflict's wake.

Faramir and the other defenders wanted to at least kill as many of their enemy as possible before the pressing numbers of orcs overwhelmed them. They were surprised then at hearing death cries coming from behind the orcs directly facing them. The death cries came from the rear orc ranks that Denethor's force commenced attacking. The orcs now realised they were the ones who were trapped on the promenade!

A short and bloody melee ensued between the combatants. Faramir and the defenders with him welcomed the opportunity to go on the attack again. Every orc between them and Denethor's force was killed either by blade or spear point or jumping down the drop off in panic. There was a high cost to the defenders as well. Just over half of Denethor's original force was still standing at the end of this engagement.

Faramir was stunned upon seeing the reinforcements that saved defenders trapped on the promenade were led by none other than his own father! Faramir cautiously began approaching Denethor.

"Father…" Faramir warily began after closing to within a few steps of Denethor.

Faramir abruptly halted due to the cold look his father gave him in reply. Faramir expected Denethor was about to lecture him in the same manner he did at Osgiliath a few months ago. Faramir was instead shocked at the words Denethor spoke to him.

"You have indeed proven your quality Faramir, Captain of Gondor." Denethor told him with the softest smile of approval.

Faramir struggled to contain the grin of pride and relief that threatened to burst across his face upon hearing these words. His father did love him after all!

The defenders on the promenade were unaware they were being watched from the skies above. The Witch-king heard the third napalm explosion when he and the other Nazgul were gathering catapult stones for their second bombardment run. The Avenger taking part in the defence had to be dealt with immediately. The Witch-king ordered the other Nazgul to fly in a holding pattern while he conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the second level.

The darkness covering Minas Tirith was reducing as dawn's first light struggled to break through Sauron's fume.

The Witch-king observed the Avenger was leading a small number of defenders blocking the main road. The Avenger repeatedly threw his shield to cut down oncoming orcs while the defenders next to him stabbed any that reached their line. No orcs were trying to climb over the masonry protecting the defenders' right flank. The Witch-king felt his contempt for the general intelligence of orcs was justified at witnessing this.

The Avenger's position was too confined a space for the Witch-king's fell-beast to come to grips with him. It was then the Witch-king noticed the situation on the promenade and a plan took shape in his mind. He telepathically commanded the Nazgul to commence his planned attack.

Faramir didn't even have a chance to reply to his father's compliment. The defenders now standing on the promenade were subjected to a bombardment of catapult stones. The defenders were thinned after a number of them were killed when struck from a falling stone. The stones also knocked other defenders over the edge of the drop off. A smaller stone struck the right side of Faramir's head causing him to fall backwards to the ground while barely conscious. Denethor flinched at the sight of this because it bought back memories of when he struck Faramir a few days ago. Before he could check on Faramir's welfare, Denethor and those defenders still standing were suddenly paralysed by a loud Nazgul scream.

The Witch-king landed his fell-beast in front of the promenade's north wall. Those defenders killed during the bombardment were the fortunate ones. Despite the unnatural fear they felt in their hearts, the defenders that hadn't been incapacitated bravely put themselves between the Steward and the Witch-king.

Rogers correctly deduced the Witch-king's scream came from the promenade after hearing it. Just moments ago he'd privately compared his situation to that of the Spartans that helped defend Thermopylae. The Witch-king's current threat had to be met or the rescue sortie would likely share the same fate as those said Spartans.

"Take over from me!" Rogers ordered some defenders behind him. After a Citadel Guard quickly took his place on the front line, Rogers encouraged the Guards holding the pass "I know you'll hold until I get back!"

Rogers began running down the side street. The Nazgul then bombarded the junction defenders. These defenders were immediately killed when they were buried under a shower of catapult stones. However, the orcs' passage through the junction was now completely blocked due to the large amounts of stone debris on the road from buildings struck by the bombardment.

The Witch-king expected this blockage to occur but he wasn't too worried about it. The attackers would be able to start clearing the blockage within the next few minutes. He turned his dread attention to the defenders protecting Denethor.

"Fools!" the Witch-king mocked them. "Do you not know death when you see it?"

The Witch-king raised his sword skywards and flames danced upon its edges. There was a short, high-pitched whistle after which the defenders' armour immediately shattered. The back of a shattered breastplate struck Denethor flinging him backward to the ground. The Steward could only watch in horror from this position as he witnessed the men trying to protect him instantly burst into flames. Such defenders were dead within seconds.

The Witch-king's plans for Gandalf were a reflection of a broader strategy of Sauron's. Sauron wanted to eliminate as many leaders of the Free Peoples as possible in this battle. But he didn't want to make martyrs out of them either. If their leaders died heroically defending them, there was the slightest risk it might inspire the Free Peoples to keep resisting the Dark Lord. Their leaders had to die in a manner that would forever break the Free Peoples' spirits once they were under Mordor's dominion. Sauron had learned what Denethor most feared and instructed the Witch-king how to use it.

"Gondor's end is near and your line will soon be spent!" the Witch-king taunted Denethor. "My hour has come!"

The Witch-king suddenly felt a sharp blow to his head. He looked in the direction the blow had come from. The Witch-king was pleased his plan to coax the Avenger to come to him had worked.

After his shield had returned to him, Rogers then coolly told the Witch-king "Denethor's not the one who's out of time."

"Do not come between the Nazgul and his prey Avenger!" the Witch-king warned Rogers.

"There's nothing standing between the pair of us right now!" Rogers defiantly met the Witch-king's challenge.

Rogers didn't lightly dismiss Gandalf's earlier advice to him about confronting the Witch-king. But nor did Rogers lightly take the oath he'd sworn to Boromir. The respective oaths of enlistment for the US and Gondor both had one important thing in common as far as Rogers was concerned. They implicitly required him to value the respective defence of their nation and people more than his own life. Rogers considered his promise to Erskine to always remain a good man the most solemn vow he'd ever made. Good men always strived to keep their word no matter the personal cost.

"You pitiful wretch!" the Witch-king scorned Rogers. "You believe your fate is simply to die at my hands?"

The Witch-king pointed his sword at Rogers and attacked him with the same sorcery he used to defeat the defenders above the Great Gate. Rogers raised his shield in a flash as soon as he felt an unseen force pushing against his chest. Rogers had privately speculated what it would feel like if Hulk ever pushed against his shield. Rogers thought with a touch of bitter humour that the Witch-king's current attack was providing a good indication.

Sauron's definition of the Free Peoples 'leaders' included the three Avengers. Sauron rated Captain America's leadership skills as great a threat to him as Thor's ability to summon lightning and Hulk's exponential level of strength. The trio would be made to pay for impudently meddling in a world that wasn't their own. The Witch-king announced to Rogers the doom Sauron had planned for Captain America.

"I shall bear you to the houses of lamentation that lie within the heart of Mordor. Forever, beyond all darkness, shall your flesh be devoured and your shrivelled mind left naked before the Lidless Eye!"

"Not today!" Rogers strained through gritted teeth while trying keep his shield aloft.

His Super-Soldier enhanced strength and courage were working overtime to prevent him being overwhelmed by the Witch-king's sorcery.

The Witch-king urged his fell-beast forward while continuing to point his sword at the Avenger. This was to increase the resistance the Avenger was pushing against. In a few moments the Avenger would be crippled on his back and the Witch-king would then carry him Mordor as Sauron had instructed. The Hosts of Mordor would soon be in a position to take the White City without requiring their Supreme Commander to be present.

The Witch-king had been so fixated on Rogers that he'd completely forgotten about Denethor. The Steward felt very afraid for a number of reasons. One being that even Captain America didn't appear, literally, to be able to stand against the Witch-king's power. Denethor noted that Faramir's still form lay in the Witch-king's current path. The only thing that currently scared Denethor more than any Nazgul induced fear was the loss of his youngest son. Especially because there was so much he still needed to make up to Faramir. Denethor pushed himself off the ground and charged the Witch-king's fell beast from side on.

"_You will not take my son from me!_" Denethor screamed as he plunged his blade into the fell-beast's right talon.

The fell-beast released a pained cry as it stopped just before stepping on Faramir. It reflexively slashed down Denethor's chest with the very talon the Steward stabbed. Denethor released a pained cry of his own as he fell backwards.

Denethor's attack had also disrupted the Witch-king's attack on Rogers. The concentration the Witch-king needed to maintain his sorcery was broken by his mount's violent wobbling. After feeling there was no longer any force pushing against him, Rogers threw his shield at the fell-beast's still raised right talon. The shield cut off the talon and the fell-beast's grating screams indicated the pain it felt from Rogers attack was far worse than Denethor's. The fell-beast hobbled to stay upright.

The Witch-king's burning desire for vengeance was quickly curtailed when Gandalf and Pippin suddenly arrived on the scene mounted on Shadowfax. At the same time, the sound of a multitude of horns blowing came from the north.

The Witch-king thought it too risky even with his enhanced power to simultaneously fight both the White Wizard and the Avenger. Especially as his mount had been partially crippled. He rationalised the pair could be dealt with later seeing they had no means of escape from Minas Tirith. Besides, a potentially even greater prize now beckoned.

"The world of Men will fall!" the Witch-king coldly boasted to the three Fellowship members before taking to the skies again.

Pippin hopped down from Shadowfax and joined Rogers to check on both Denethor and Faramir.

During the pause between Gandalf's arrival and the Witch-king's departure, Denethor managed to struggle onto his stomach and pulled himself over to Faramir. Denethor left a thick trail of blood along the ground in his wake. Faramir briefly stirred to see Denethor's face close above him.

"I'm so proud of you my son…" Denethor managed to say before his head came to softly rest on Faramir's chest. Both father and son then closed their eyes.

Rogers turned Denethor over and saw the fell-beast had cut a deep wound from his neck to abdomen. Rogers simply looked at Gandalf and grimly shook his head.

"So passes Denethor, son of Ecthelion." Gandalf softly observed with a voice tinged with genuine sadness.

Like he did with Saruman, Gandalf remembered the person Denethor was in earlier times. But unlike Saruman, Denethor rediscovered personal strength and nobility before meeting his end. He died fighting for what was good in a manner worthy of a Steward. Most importantly, before death took him, Denethor seemed to have reconciled himself with Faramir somehow.

Pippin had rushed to Faramir's side before touching his brow. The Took's eyes widened upon seeing Faramir slightly stir at his touch.

"Faramir's alive!" Pippin exclaimed with worry and relief. "He needs medicine Gandalf!"

"Hurry Steve!" Gandalf urged Rogers. "In a few minutes Attack Trolls will begin knocking down the rubble that blocks Mordor's path!"

Rogers carried Faramir in his arms before placing him in front of Gandalf on Shadowfax. Gandalf wrapped his left arm around Faramir's waist to keep him seated. At a command from Gandalf, Shadowfax began galloping back to the Houses of Healing. Rogers was following just behind while carrying Pippin on his waist. The defenders closed the gate to the third level after the Fellowship members and Faramir had passed through it. Rogers halted and gently put Pippin down here while Shadowfax continued to carry his riders to the sixth level. A confused and worried Boromir rapidly walked up to Rogers.

"What happened?" Boromir asked in a voice that matched the expression on his face.

"Faramir's been badly hurt but I don't think it's fatal." Rogers reported as quick and reassuring as he could.

Boromir knew the probable answer to his next question. But he still held the tinniest hope he could be wrong.

"And my father?" Boromir asked in a voice laced with dread.

Rogers wondered if his own voice sounded the same at Helm's Deep when he asked why Aragorn was missing. He also remembered overhearing Gimli's answer to Eowyn to that question.

"I'm sorry Boromir." Rogers quietly sympathised. "He fell."

Boromir still reeled from this revelation despite expecting to hear it. Rogers put a supportive hand on a shaken Boromir's shoulder.

"If you need a few minutes alone Beregond and I can take over for a while." Rogers offered his friend.

Boromir took in a deep breath to steady himself before exhaling it.

"No thanks Steve." Boromir reassured him with slightly misty eyes. "I can mourn for my father later. I know what he would have me focus on right now."

Rogers nodded in understanding before asking, "What were those horns I heard awhile ago? I know it definitely wasn't yours."

"You can see for yourself." Boromir answered while pointing at a trebuchet placement facing north on the wall of the third level. Boromir led Rogers on to the placement that had been stripped of its weapon by the Witch-king.

"It's not the same as one of your 'armoured divisions' Steve, but its welcome sight of cavalry nonetheless." Boromir wearily remarked in reference to what the pair of them was now observing.

A new day had arrived bringing with it Rohan and the God of Thunder.

* * *

**While this crossover is about superheroes in a fantastical word, I've tried to make the battles in it as 'real' as possible. I include in the battles factors like time, fatigue, ammunition, training, position, weather, morale etc. Cap would have to take into account the personnel and materials available to him in designing a rudimentary air defence in less than four days.**

**I suspect some readers were expecting a more spectacular air defence for Minas Tirith than smokescreens. I've read on different forums some people suggesting the fell-beasts could be shot down with ballista. This ignores the fact such weapons (at least the medieval kind) weren't designed to bring down fast moving airborne objects. I settled on smokescreens given Gondor's technology level is broadly similar to that of high- or late- Medieval Europe. Indeed, the Mongols used thatch-fire smokescreens against their enemies on medieval battlefields.**

**In the book version of the Siege of Gondor, the Nine mostly stayed out of bowshot. Their role was limited to inducing fear among the defenders. I've followed a similar pattern in this chapter given Sauron's earlier machinations with the Nine's power.**

**The illegality that Boromir was referring to was the law that Steward not enter battle.**

**A lot of this chapter's dialogue is drawn both the book and movies. Especially for dialogue that involves the Witch-king.**

**I also prefer the question of whether the Witch-king could best Gandalf to remain unresolved as per the book.**


End file.
